Ace Combat 7: Wings of Freedom
by DemonLordGalm
Summary: This is it, the final story. The journey of our intrepid characters have all led up to this point. However, to reach the end, you must first start at the beginning once more. I wish you the best of luck. Godspeed. Cipher, Pixy, Nagase, Grimm, Snow, Gryphus 1, Talisman, OC, all of them basically. ORDER OF STORIES - AC5, AC6, ACZ, ACX, AC7. CHAPTER 37 POSTED
1. Disclaimer

Here it is, the final story of my Ace Combat series, and I'm sorry It took me so long to finally get this started, I've been really busy...but I digress...It's been a good run everyone, but it's all gotta come to an end sometime. This is the end my fellow readers, where the culmination of all the events that had transpired from 1995 to now can finally be put to rest.

This is story that brings together all of my previous stories into one. So, I'll put this little disclaimer here.

 **^^^DISCLAIMER^^^**

IF YOU ARE A RETURNER OF THIS SERIES, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU EITHER RE-READ THE PREVIOUS FOUR STORIES, FOR THEY ARE UNDERGOING A FACE-LIFT WITH BETTER CONTENT AND REVISED EDITING.

SOME EVENTS HAVE BEEN SWITCHED AROUND AND CHANGED TO MAKE A BETTER STREAMLINED PROGRESSION THROUGH ALL THE GAMES WITH ACE COMBAT 7 ADDED IN.

I HIGHLY SUGGEST THAT YOU MERELY READ THIS STORY, HOWEVER, BECAUSE I WILL BE POSTING ALL FOUR ACE COMBAT STORIES I HAVE WRITTEN THUS FAR INTO THIS FANFICTION, BECAUSE WINGS OF FREEDOM IS TO ACT AS ONE HUGE MEGA STORY, STARTING WITH RETRIBUTION OF A DEMON, THEN ANGELS OF PEACE, FOLLOWED BY BIRTH OF A LEGEND, THEN THE SOUTHERN CROSS.

Thank you all so much for being so patient with me and I apologize for taking FOREVER to finally make this a reality. I had been waiting what new content Ace Combat 7 would be bringing to the table, and once I get my hands on it I will be able to finally begin writing the final story with that included as well as what I already had written, if need be.

But until then, please, sit back, and enjoy reliving the stories that have taken place before hand. If you're a returner, leave a review, or a Nugget, leave one too with a favorite! And I will see you all at the final story, because there isn't much to say with what comes before hand!

Peace!

 _~DemonLordGalm_


	2. Prologue

A/N Leave a fav and review!

* * *

 **Prologue**

 _A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step._

 _~ Lao Tzu_

* * *

"The story of this world is a rather interesting one, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I'd think so, Grandpa."

"There's so many different people out there, with different thoughts, different feelings, those that they love, those that they hate, it's all so different...yet at the same time, it's so similar too."

"What do you mean?"

"People are unique...and this uniqueness can lead to some terrible things. Like war-"

"What's war?"

"What is war…? Ahh...yes...that is something you wouldn't know about, would you?"

"What exactly is it?"

"Here...let me doing something else for you. I'm going to tell you a story...no, not a story, many stories, of the ones that used to dominate the skies. Of men and women who could lay waste to entire battlefields as if they were demons...of those who could ascertain a situation in a moments notice, of those who flew for honor and justice, like the knights of medieval past. Of times of warmth, and of times of sadness."

"What do all of those things mean…?"

"Well, it's taken from something my father used to tell me when I was young, your grandfather. He was a fighter pilot, and he used to tell me all of these stories...but one thing he always used to tell me, if I ever followed in his footsteps."

"What was it?"

"There are always three kind of aces...those who seek strength, those who live for pride, and those who can read the tide of battle. And let me tell you...I had the joy and pleasure of knowing so many people who were either one, or the other, and then some...a very, very select few, who encapsulated all three...true aces."

"Could you tell me more? Pretty please!"

"But of course. I'd gladly tell you anything, Alek. Now where to begin..."

"The beginning?"

"Yes, yes...at the beginning. The beginning of the journey...that led to the world finally knowing what the true meaning of peace is."


	3. The Beginning

A/N Leave a fav and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - The Beginning**

"15 years ago, there was a war. Well...war's broken out plenty of times here. They've tried to invade the south lands through the north time and time again. Luck was never on their side though. They didn't realize that times had changed. Facing one defeat after another and watching their nation dwindle, they built up their industrial might to unprecedented heights to wage one final war against the world. That was 15 years ago.

They fought ferociously, but were utterly defeated. The Belkans then committed the unthinkable. They used nuclear weapons on their own soil. Seeing this tragedy unfold before their very eyes, the victorious countries vowed to throw down their arms. The world was once again at peace, and thanks to them, it seemed it would stay like that forever. On a small island, far away from civilization, the heroes of the sky would fly once again for peace."

* * *

 **ACE COMBAT 5 - RETRIBUTION OF A DEMON**

* * *

 **\- Anfang, Belka -**

 **\- January 4th, 2010 1124 hrs -**

He was sitting in a chair with a cup of coffee in one hand, a remote in the other. He had a tired look in his eyes, his face with a small frown on it. Suddenly a knock came from the door and the man sighed, knowing already who it was before he even saw them.

"It's open...let yourself in..." he said as he returned his attention to the T.V., his posture that of a tired individual who just wants to be left alone.

The door opened and another man walked into the living room, a concerned look on his face. The first man wished he hadn't shown up, but he also knew that it was only a matter of time before he did arrive on the doorstep of his apartment.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Yeah...Why? You always keep checking up on my James..." said the man as he took a sip of coffee.

"I do so you won't go over the deep end. I know how you feel about him and what happened to you both all those years ago, but it couldn't have been helped. It was inevitable with all those meteors raining down onto our heads." said the man now identified as James.

"I don't care...he didn't have to die..." cried the man as he hung his head in sadness.

"Anyway, I came here to tell you that I found a job for you."

"Lay it on me...whatever it is..." murmured the first man while taking a sip of coffee.

"You're going to Sand Island Base as a member of the Osean Air Defense Force." said James, causing the man to choke a little on his coffee and spit it back out into the cup.

"What?! Why would I-"

"You belong in the air. It's always been your home ever since I first met you. That fire in your eyes, the eagerness. It's never going to leave you, and no matter how hard you try you won't be able to outrun your past." James said, his stern expression softening. "Besides...you need to think about moving on."

The first man glanced back at James with a half-angry, half-saddened expression before he sighed and set his coffee mug down, running a hand through his hair and slowly standing up.

"Fine...I...I guess you're right. When do I have to leave…?"

"I arranged a flight for you that will take you to November City, and from there you go to your destination. Let me remind you though, you have to keep your identity hidden, we wouldn't want-"

The man waved his hand to cut him off. "I know, I know...I hear you. Where exactly would I be going? Do you know that at least?"

"A place called Sand Island."


	4. Shorebirds

A/N Leave a fav and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 2 - Shorebirds**

 _Amidst the eternal waves of time_

 _From a ripple of change shall the storm rise_

 _Out of the Abyss peer the eyes of a demon_

 _Behold the Razgriz, it's wings of black sheath_

* * *

 **\- Cape Landers -**

 **\- 05 32' 17' N 152 16'02'E -**

 **\- September 23rd, 2010 1109 hrs -**

"Red alert!"

He was in the sky, trying to get the training team in his viewfinder from the rear seat of the lead plane. His pilot in the front seat was howling at the earth below. A light started to blink and some beeps were heard in the cockpit, the radio starting to crackle.

"Gimme a break! I'm babysittin' nuggets up here!" said the pilot into the radio with some annoyance in his voice.

"Command Room to Wardog Squadron. We have leakers, aircraft type unknown. Crossing the border at Cape Landers bearing 278 to 302. Captain Bartlett, your flight is the only group close enough to make the intercept." responded an older, more authoritative voice.

"Baker, Svenson, go trail and stay close. The three of us will go high and engage the bandits. All other aircraft stay low and out of the fight." ordered the man named Bartlett, two F-5Es swinging around to fly beside his F-4G Phantom II "Wild Weasel".

He performed a barrel roll as they flew up higher than the rest of the planes in the training squadron to get a better angle of interception for the approaching aircraft..

The world turned inside out and his stomach turned inside out.

 **\- Sand Island Air Force Base -**

 **\- 1352 hrs -**

"Sorry bout this." said Bartlett with a glance back to him before continuing to walk.

The Captain's apology seemed misplaced to him. One instructor had survived the fight but crashed on landing, while the other one was killed in action high up in the clouds. It wasn't his fault that they unidentified aircraft fired on them without warning, nor was it his fault that the low altitude area where he sent his trainees was directly in front of the enemy.

Eight people died because the Command Room misplaced some zeroes.

"That pilot in the Number Seven was amazing. Did you see her fight back?" asked Albert Gennette, the man who was in Bartlett's plane during the entire fight.

He was a reporter that was sent there to cover Sand Island.

"I couldn't bear to watch." said Bartlett before stopping to turn back to their planes. "Nagase, you keep flying like that and you'll die real soon!"

The one he shouted at was a Woman with short black hair who was standing beside her F-5E after leaving the cockpit, the woman pulling back some of her hair when a breeze struck them.

"I won't die, sir."

The only surviving trainee's voice was almost a whisper.

"Are you sure? You look like you couldn't hurt a fly." muttered Bartlett before resuming his walk down the tarmac to the hangers while Gennette kept looking at the trainee.

He grabbed his camera and held it up to his eye, aiming to get a picture of her. She noticed him and turned towards him slightly, a small smile appearing on her face. Her face was pale, but she still managed to smile for the camera.

Snap.

The photo, along with his camera, was confiscated by Base Security. It was if their little undeclared war never happened.

 **\- Crew Ready Room -**

 **\- 1600 hrs -**

Gennette had come to cover this remote island because he heard of a very unique squadron leader stationed there. He didn't realize he was this unique though. This badmouthed, good-natured old firebrand could take the greenest of rookies and forge him into a fearsome fighter pilot.

Of course...that possibility vanished with today's encounter.

The only crew he had left now were Second Lieutenant Nagase and the few pilots that happened to be on the ground that day. Bartlett was looking aimlessly up at the ceiling in the room, the voices of the other trainees talking filling his ears.

He leaned up and rested his elbows on his knees, eyeing the trainees as he waited for them to quiet down. One in particular caught his attention, a trainee that was older than most and had been stationed here since January, one who had learned everything they taught him as if it were second nature.

He liked to be called by his callsign, "Blaze". Bartlett had an intense feeling of deja vu towards the man, feeling like he had met him once. But he just couldn't place it, so he dismissed it as just a trick of the mind.

"I know you don't like this but we're short on people. Starting tomorrow, all you nuggets are gonna be sittin' alert. If we launch, stay glued to me up there. Nagase!"

"Sir." she replied.

"You're flying Number Two on my wing. Gotta keep an eye on you or who knows what you'll get yourself into." said Bartlett before his gaze drifted back to the other trainee, Blaze.

"You're all dismissed." he breathed, all of the trainees getting up out of their seats except him, which intrigued Bartlett.

"Hey, you coming?" he asked, the trainee looking up at him with tired eyes.

He flipped a coin as he got up, Bartlett spotting an odd symbol on it before it disappeared into his hand when he caught it. He didn;t see the coin again since Blaze slid the change into his pocket, followed by his hand as he gave him a stare for a split second.

"Yeah…" he muttered as he walked out of the room, Bartlett watching him skulk down the hallway like he was in the worst place imaginable.

 **\- Briefing Room -**

 **\- September 24th, 2010 1008 hrs -**

"At ease people, but don't get too comfortable." said Colonel Perrault , the Base commander of Sand Island as he started the briefing.

A rather heavy set man, Perrault was possibly one of the best examples of an armchair commander that any of the pilots that had been at Sand Island could know. He claimed excellence and boasted his skills often, but outside of those claims and the medals he wore, the man, as far as they knew, hadn't even stepped foot into a fighter jet.

Blaze sat with Bartlett, Nagase and another rookie who was chosen along with the two of them to be refil the ranks of Wardog Squadron.

"It's a grave situation for all of us right now, so let's get this briefing started." he said before he let the briefer take over, some images appearing on the projector screen.

"Another aircraft of unknown origin has entered Osean Federation airspace. We have confirmed that the target type is a strategic recon plane flying at very high altitude." started the briefer, an image of Cape Landers, the place where the first incident occurred, appearing with a single red blip hovering new the top edge heading towards the ocean, probably the recon plane guessed Blaze.

"Despite our repeated warnings, it continued to penetrate our ADEZ and was fired upon by Osean Coastal Defense Force SAMs. We believe one of our SAMs damaged the unknown plane, but did not destroy it."

The screen showed the plane's retreat direction, four green blips, Wardog Squadron, appeared and moved across the map to intercept the plane near the coastline.

"Radar shows that the aircraft is currently losing altitude and is attempting to egress feet wet towards the ocean. Intercept this target and force it to land for identification. Do not fire upon this aircraft until further orders are transmitted." he finished while the lights flickered back on and they were dismissed from the room.

Blaze was the first to reach his plane, while not suiting his tastes, the F-5E would serve its purpose for the time being. Its number was 016, not the number he would've wanted to have either, but oh well. He couldn't really ask for anything since he was considered a Rookie, or in Bartlett's case, a Nugget.

" _If only they knew…_ "

He climbed into the cockpit and glanced at two squadron patches he had taped to the dashboard. He exhaled deeply before he powered up the engines for the runway takeoff.

 **\- Cape Landers, Western Osea -**

 **\- 04 30' 02' N 156 '02' 07 E -**

 **\- September 24th, 2010 101 hrs -**

"This is Heartbreak One of Wardog Squadron, we are approaching the target." radioed in Bartlett from the front of the formation in his F-4G.

"This is AWACS, callsign Thunderhead. Roger, bring the target to the ground. Do not fire at the target, repeat, do not fire at the target." reported their AWACS, Blaze smirking at his voice and attitude. He almost reminded him of James back in the day, that no-nonsense all business attitude.

"You got that nuggets?" asked Bartlett.

"Wardog 2, roger." said Nagase, her chosen callsign being Edge.

"Wardog 3, roger." responded the third member of the squadron with a carefree attitude, only known to Blaze as "Chopper".

Blaze must have zoned out a little because after what seemed to him a minute or so he was pulled back to reality when Bartlett barked into his ears through the radio.

"Wardog 4, hello? Can you hear me kid? You better be markin' our tail son!" said Bartlett at Blaze's silence after a couple of seconds.

"Yeah...I'm here." replied Blaze with a depressed voice, Bartlett wondering why he was like that all the time.

Chopper chuckled at the little interchange, not detecting the tone in Blaze's voice. "Man, I'm glad you drew the short straw instead of me."

"Second Lieutenant Alvin H. Davenport, zip it! You need a nickname too?" Bartlett was quick to reprimand him.

" _So that's his name…_ " thought Blaze as he waited for Chopper's response with Nagase..

"I respectfully ask to be called "Chopper" sir. I'm afraid I won't be able to respond to any other moniker." he said happily.

"Hmm...That does fit you well. I've got a better name for you, but I'll keep it to myself, okay?" asked Bartlett with a playful grin, receiving a heavy sigh from Chopper.

"Aw, cut me some slack man!"

They flew for a few more minutes until a red dot on their radar appeared to the northeast of them. Blaze watched the clouds roll by ahead and he was treated to a few memories of days past when, before he zoned out again and let the aircraft fly itself, they found what they were looking for.

"Tally ho, we've got company. Let's go." said Bartlett as he took a turn towards the plane.

Blaze flipped his plane over to the right and did a barrel roll to join Chopper and Nagase in the formation once again, approaching the recon plane from its six o'clock. From the look of it, Blaze deduced it was an SR-71 Blackbird, which he found odd since they were designed to be high altitude flying, so finding one this low was definitely a treat.

"You're forbidden to fire until I give permission, understand?" asked Bartlett.

Both Chopper and Nagase replied with a simple, "Roger."

"Sure, whatever." muttered Blaze, Bartlett racking his brains for a reason to explain why Blaze was like that all the time.

"Alright, where's Motormouth Chopper?" he asked, shaking off the deja vu feeling.

"Wha…? That's your name for me?" asked Chopper in bewilderment while Nagase stifled a laugh and Blaze smirked.

"You've got a knack for comic dialogue. You mind sending the surrender request for me?" asked Bartlett kindly in his own gruff way, Nagase and Blaze relishing this between Chopper and Bartlett.

"Oh no, please, age before beauty." joked Chopper as they neared the Blackbird.

"I'm real shy around strangers you know…"

"Sheesh…" muttered Chopper while rolling his eyes. "Testing, testing...Attention unidentified aircraft, set your course to out beacon immediately."

"Good." commented Bartlett, obviously amused by this.

"Uh...We will direct you to the nearest airfield. Lower your gear if you understand." asked Chopper, a couple of seconds passing before four new contacts appeared on radar to the east along the coast.

"Warning! We have four high-speed bogeys inbound. Approaching unknown aircraft bearing 280, altitude 6,000. Hold your fire until further orders." warned Thunderhead, Blaze's smirk vanishing as old instincts started to kick in.

Like a calm river becoming a rushing torrent threatening to overwhelm the banks it was confined to, he looked to the radar and started to formulate plans of attack dependent on speed, angle, all the way to the very make and model of jet fighter approaching them.

"Crossing the pond to fly cover for their spy plane, huh? Now there's a pilot worth his wings." said Bartlett before he became serious.

"Enemy inbound, bearing 280, head on."

He took the lead again as they approached the new fighters, Blaze's hands shaking on the flight stick in anticipation.

"You're not to fire until I say it's okay, got me?" he asked, Blaze responding eagerly with a little excitement.

"Yes sir."

Bartlett looked back at Blaze's plane in confusion at the sudden change of his attitude and thought, "*This kid is bugging me, he's sad and moody one minute and the next, when enemy fighters are in the area, he becomes as joyful as a little kid. It's as if he wants to fight…"

Suddenly a short burst of deadly gunfire soared past his cockpit and he ducked to the side, Nagase, Chopper and Blaze splitting apart from him as the enemy squadron blew past them.

"Heads up, this is about to get crazy!" shouted Chopper as one of the fighters instantly started to tail him.

"Wardog, weapons safe! Hold fire until further orders!" ordered Thunderhead, Blaze letting out a deep breathe as the warning sirens filled his cockpit.

"Oh come one! These aren't blanks they're firing out here!" whined Chopper before he quickly ducked down to avoid another spray of gunfire.

"Shut your mouth and fire back!" growled Bartlett as he turned to engage the fighter tailing him, regardless if he was defying direct orders or not.

Not amused by the Captain defying his word, Thunderhead barked, "Captain Bartlett, you are violating direct orders!"

"Shove it! I'm not going to watch anymore of my pilots die!" he yelled, those words making Blaze smile as he blasted past him and instantly engaged the fighter tailing Nagase.

He brushed its wing with gunfire as he chased it around, analyzing it as he flew through the ducks, corkscrews and pivots the enemy fighter used to try and evade him.

" _MiG-21's? Who uses that piece of shit fighter anymore?_ " he thought as he flipped back around and fired a missile directly at the pilot as he ran underneath him, still thinking he was chasing behind him.

"Blaze, fox one." he said as the missile exploded around the plane, its wreckage falling towards the ocean.

"Enemy recon plane down." reported Thunderhead, Bartlett laughing a bit as he chased his target, letting two missiles go.

"Aw, got too tired to party? Fox two." he asked before his target became a smoking pile of falling debris.

"Nagase, turn right, I'll grab the bandit and make him follow me. You shoot him down as soon as he turns.." said Blaze, as if giving orders was natural to him.

"Got it." she responded, banking right instantly with Blaze shooting past her, attracting the attention of the enemy pilot.

She quickly spun her plane around and sprayed the entirety of the MiG-21 with her gun, the engines exploding when some of the rounds hit the engine and fuselage. The pilot was able to safely eject from the jet fighter as it spiralled out of control, and thankfully it did since the Fishbed exploded a minute later.

"Damn...dog fighting sucks man…" said Chopper, who was still having trouble shaking the bandit on his six. "It's like he won't leave me alone!"

"Don't worry, I'll help you out." said Bartlett as he trailed after Chopper and cleared his six for him.

Suddenly another wave of four more planes appeared on radar from the same vector, 280.

"Turning to engage bandits." said Nagase as she joined them in flying towards the new enemies, Blaze out in front of them all.

"I got this." he said like any other cocky rookie, eager to prove themselves.

Bartlett about to interject and order him to wait for the rest of the squadron, but instead change his decision. That strange feeling of familiarity had come back and part of him actually wanted to see what Blaze could do.

"Chopper, Nagase, hold back. I want to see this unfold." he said, Nagase looking up at his plane in shock.

"But Captain-"

"Nagase, just let him do it. I have the utmost confidence in him." he said as he sat back in his seat and flew in a wide arch with the two, observing Blaze.

The first move he made was a barrel roll and a sweep to the right, catching the enemy off guard as their missiles flew past him, not even touching him. He pulled the air brakes and his plane flipped up over one of the planes, allowing Blaze to spray the top part of one of the planes with gunfire.

One down, three to go.

Two of the fighters started to trail him, Blaze effortlessly avoiding their missiles and gunfire while the third tried hopelessly top hit him from the front.

Blaze calculated the angles in his head and started to pick his nose up, and just like he suspected, the MiG-21's pursuing him had a slower maneuvering speed, lining him up for a perfect shot.

"Blaze, dropping two." he said as he released two bombs from his F-5E, Chopper, Nagase and Bartlett all being blown away as the two unguided bombs struck home, two balls of fire replacing the two MiG-21s.

"Did he just…" uttered Chopper, Bartlett's mouth ajar in surprise and awe.

"Yeah...I think he did…" he replied, absolutely shocked at Blaze's superb maneuvering in an F-5E of all planes, one that lacked in that field.

His flying to the three of them was like a dance, his moves graceful and smooth, like he had been doing them for years. Instantly the last remaining fighter tried to tail him, only this time the roles have switched.

The prey had become the hunter.

Blaze started to go into a steep drop towards the ocean, fast approaching the calm waters below. The enemy pilot was hot on his heels, letting loose everything he got to try and score a hit on Blaze, but it was all in vain. Blaze evaded every shot, the water coming dangerously closer and closer in his mad dive towards the ocean.

"Blaze pull up!" yelled Nagase, but despite her plea he continued to descend faster and faster towards the water.

"Wait for it...Wait for it...Now!" he said as he quickly pulled up, the MiG-21 fighter being quick enough to react and instead of barely skimming over the water like Blaze had, he slammed right into it in an explosion of water and fire.

Blaze returned to the formation and retook his position at the back of the squadron on their way back to Sand Island.

"This is your Captain speaking. Can you all hear me?" asked Bartlett, still quite shaken up at Blaze's performance.

"I'm here...and...wow…" said Nagase, the same feeling of awe on her as well.

"Kid, that was some serious flying!" laughed Chopper.

"We're all here sir, not a single casualty." said Blaze with a small smile.

"Well to commemorate the fact that we all made it out alive, I'm going to let you keep your nickname. From now on, I'm gonna call you "Kid" no matter what. Got it? Good." said Bartlett, referring to Blaze only, making him smile at him.

 **^^^^Emergency Transmission from Central^^^^**

1\. To all Sand Island Base personnel, all information regarding today's hostile encounter is to be classified.

2\. Captain Jack Bartlett is to report to base headquarters immediately.

September 24, 2010

Order E0111207

Osean Air Defence Force Central Command

 **\- Sand Island Base - Hangar 3-**

 **\- 1529 hrs -**

The whole affair with the unidentified aircraft was covered up. There was even a rumor going around that it was actually a UFO. A black labrador, Kirk was his name and his owner being Chopper, caught a frisbee and ran back to said owner, the sunset casting their shadows across the tarmac.

Officially, the world was still at peace.

"Why do they even bother reprimanding me anymore? I know I'm gonna be stuck a Captain forever." sighed Bartlett with a small smile as he watched the two.

He was in his casual wear, some baggy black pants and a wife-beater shirt, and was standing in front of a bench with Gennette sitting close beside him while Pops, one of the more respected mechanics of the island and is regarded as a mentor and great friend, worked on the wing of his C-1 Trader.

"Who do you think's covering up the battle?" asked Gennette, curious to the matter, with Bartlett returning a glance at him.

"Listen...The only thing across that ocean is Murska Airbase. That's Yuktobanian territory."

"But haven't we been allies with the Yukes since the war fifteen years ago?" asked Gennette at Bartlett's use of the word "territory".

"Yeah...that's why we've got people working their asses off trying to confirm what the hell's going on over there. I bet they've got hotlines ringing off the hook somewhere upstairs. The government doesn't want to get the public riled up with all this, you know?" said Bartlett before a scowl appeared on his face.

"But it doesn't matter, soldiers like us are too stupid to think for ourselves, so we just keep our mouths shut when they tell us to. I feel kinda bad for you actually." chuckled Bartlett as the scowl disappeared and he looked back down at Gennette.

He smiled before he picked up the water bottle beside him and took a sip. "It's alright, I get to be with you guys."

"Captain's probably hating this more than anybody." said Pops as he walked up to the bench, Gennette pivoting himself around the bench to look at him.

"He used to have a lady friend over in Yuktobania." he said with a sly smile while motioning at a symbol on Bartlett's spare F-5E, an Ace of Hearts card with a blade having cut through the heart in the card's center, a reference to his callsign "Heartbreak One".

"Ahh...That's just an old war wound now…"


	5. Open War

A/N Leave a fav and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 3 - Open War**

 _Amidst the eternal waves of time_

 _From a ripple of change shall the storm rise_

 _Out of the Abyss peer the eyes of a demon_

 _Behold the Razgriz, it's wings of black sheath_

* * *

 **\- Sand Island Base -**

 **\- September 26th, 2010 1001 hrs -**

It had been a few days since the whole covered up fight over Cape Landers, the second engagement in that area in a week. Jack Bartlett was sitting in his room looking out the window, eyeing someone flying in the sky above the base.

It was Blaze flying in his F-5E, gracefully soaring through the air like an eagle, flawless, beautiful. He always did this for an hour or more every day, sometimes losing track of time and going into the air in the morning and not coming back down until the afternoon.

It was if his home wasn't in the base, but in the great blue sky above.

" _What is up with that Kid? He's a trainee yet...those maneuvers he performed were beyond advanced, as if he's known them for his entire life._ " he thought, watching Blaze for a few more minutes before getting up from his couch and exiting through the door.

Meanwhile, inside the cockpit of the lone F-5E, Blaze was at peace with himself, in perfect balance. He had his eyes half closed, almost to the point of flying blind, but had his senses sharp as knives. Old memories began to flow like a slow river back into his brain, fueling his flying and passion for it.

His radar beeped and he looked back, seeing Bartlett fly up to join him from the island.

"Sir, may I ask, what are you doing up here?" he asked while Bartlett pulled his F-4G up beside him.

"Well, I thought I might join you up here. And no one else can hear us right?" asked Bartlett, double checking to see if this was true.

"Yeah, we're alone."

"Alright, how did you know how to perform those maneuvers a couple of days ago, over Cape Landers? When I first saw you, I thought there was something off about you, and that last encounter proved it. Start talking." demanded Bartlett with a gruff tone.

"I can't get out of this, can't I…"

"No way in hell, spill it."

"Well...You remember back in 1995?"

 **\- Briefing Room -**

 **\- September 27th, 2010 1021 hrs -**

Blaze took his seat beside Bartlett as usual and waited for the briefing to begin, looking from Perrault to the Briefer. Bartlett had a little smirk on his face as he clapped Blaze on the shoulder a few times, Blaze shaking his head a little and chuckling silently because of it.

"A ship of unknown origin has been detected approaching the Sand Island coastline. We've confirmed that the ship has launched numerous unmanned aerial vehicles probably used for reconnaissance." started to Briefer, the projector screen being filled with new images. Nagase, Blaze and Chopper watched closely as the ship appeared on the screen with the UAVs.

"The UAVs will likely return to the launch ship for retrieval after completing their spy operations. You are to halt this operation by intercepting these recon drones before they can be recovered by the ship." he paused to catch his breath.

"However, do not attack the ship until further orders are transmitted. Dismissed."

 **\- Sand Island -**

 **\- September 27th, 2010 1133 hrs -**

Chopper was the last to take off from the runway, joining the already flying Bartlett, Blaze and Nagase in the trail position.

"Wardog, this is Thunderhead. Unmanned recon drones returning to spy vessel. Shoot them down before they get back to the ship." said Thunderhead, still remembering the encounter before where they disobeyed orders, and secretly hoped they wouldn't do it again.

"Sure thing, you got that gang?" asked Bartlett to them.

"Ah this is going to be a piece of cake." said Chopper with a small laugh while doing a barrel roll.

"Hey! Stay sharp, don't get all comfortable just yet. You need to stay alert at all times, who knows what will happen." said Bartlett sternly before returning his attention to the first four UAVs.

They easily took them all down, one UAV for each of them, staying in formation as they approached the next four.

"I sure am glad there aren't any live people in these drones. Aren't you?" asked Chopper with a small smile as he down another for himself.

"Yeah, I guess." smirked Blaze while he watched the UAV fall in a ball of fire.

"Let's just hope that other UAVs haven't reached the mainland." said Nagase as she swooped up behind one and took it down quickly.

"Yeah, but back to these, we just shoot em down and don't even have to worry about it." said Chopper with an amused tone. "Easiest thing in the world!"

"Hey, they may be drones but you still have to be ready for anything." said Bartlett, his mind still slightly bothered by what Blaze had told him the day before.

" _Whatever you do, don't tell anyone. The media will never leave me alone and I've got a lot of enemies out there...I don't exactly want to be broadcast just yet._ "

" _Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. And...It's good to see you again._ "

Bartlett filed away the memory just as Blaze downed the last UAV, the ship down below the only thing remaining.

"Warning! Multiple bogeys inbound, closing fast!" warned Thunderhead as six new hits appeared on radar.

"Same attack axis as before?" asked Bartlett.

"280, same vector as last time." confirmed Thunderhead, Bartlett sighing in frustration.

"Geez, how many planes do they have lined up at the border?"

"We've got only four on our side, we'd better abort." suggested Blaze before he turned his plane back towards Sand Island.

"Agreed, follow me." said Bartlett, following Blaze back towards Sand Island where they would be safe.

Nagase and Chopper followed behind them, but for the latter though, he was farther back then the others and the unknown fighters were gaining ground on him fast in their MiG-29A Fulcrums. Unlike the previous unknown jets they had quarreled with, these new enemies were even more of a threat.

"I can't make it, they're running me down!" called out Chopper frantically, Blaze glancing back at his plane.

"Oh, you're takin' the trail position to today Rock n' Roller? Hold on, I'll clear your six o'clock for you." smirked Bartlett before he spun his plane around back towards Chopper.

"Dammit, why'd I have to draw the short straw today!" cursed Chopper, already avoiding missiles from the MiGs.

"Think you could stick to my tail?" asked Bartlett in a challenging tone, Blaze and Nagase right beside him.

"I should be the one asking you that old man!" laughed Blaze, Nagase and him blowing past a dumbfounded Bartlett to assist Chopper. "Just try to keep up!"

"Old?! Get back here!" he yelled with a laugh.

They engaged the planes circling Chopper, Blaze scoring two kills almost instantly. The Fulcrum pilots were quick to react to the sudden downing of their allies and fled from the newcomers to try a different approach.

"Blaze, engaging."

"Edge, engaging."

"Heartbreak One, engaging."

"Chopper, engaging."

"Wardog, you are not cleared to engage at this time!" said Thunderhead, but no one was listening.

"Break right, bandit on the Captain's tail. I'm on it." said Nagase as she flipped her planes nose up and fired a missile into the belly of one of the Fulcrums, clearing Bartlett's six.

"Alright, not bad."

When it looked like Wardog was going to have another relatively easy victory, like last time, more enemy fighters entered the fray to ruin those chances and a new voice was heard. They could hear the enemy speak through their radios, perhaps through some strange phenomenon, or they were just using the same channel.

"Enemy squadron has commenced counter attack." said one of the enemy pilots in the lead Fulcrum, one with a black nose tip and diamond on its body.

"Do not pursue the enemy across the border into Osean territory. Concentrate your attack on the one straggling aircraft." he ordered before his squadron split apart and dove into the action.

"You splashed an enemy without permission to engage?!" yelled Thunderhead furiously. What are you thinking Wardog!"

"Dammit, need some help here!" yelled Chopper, the one fighter that was chasing him being joined by the enemy squadron leader and another Fulcrum.

"Kid, go help out Mr. Rock n' Roll there." said Bartlett to Blaze while he assisted Nagase.

"I got you Chopper, fox two."

Two missiles disconnected from his plane and took down two of the Fulcrums while Blaze sent a wave of bullets into the lead Fulcrum, one of its engines exploding. The whole jet rattled and the pilot's vision became blurry after his head smacked into the back of his flight seat as a result, some blood dripping from his lip.

"I guess Osea does have some good pilots…Who are you?" he asked, Blaze looking at his falling plane still trailing smoke.

"Blaze, it's Blaze." he said, hearing a small chuckle from the pilot.

"I hope to see you again, which might be soon, or later...farewell." said the pilot before he bailed out of his Fulcrum and let it crash into the ocean.

"Picture clear, all hostile aircraft destroyed." reported Thunderhead irritably while Chopper and Blaze rejoined Bartlett and Nagase.

"Seems you've made a new frenemy Blaze." smirked Bartlett with a small laugh while watching the parachute of the enemy pilot drift down to the churning ocean below.

"Warning still in effect." cautioned Thunderhead, putting aside his irritation until the mission was finished. "Keep your head on a swivel."

Blaze, after hearing his warning, was scanning the horizon for any more bogeys that would arrive, but his view was clean...until his gaze arrived at the ship below them. Instantly realizing the threat, he was about to yell out a warning, but Bartlett got to it first.

"Watch out Nagase, they're below us too!"

An unidentified crew member onboard the ship fired a shoulder-mounted SAM missile from its deck up at Nagase, the closest to the ship, and she tried to do her best to lose it. She twisted and turned, using up all the evasive maneuvers she knew in trying to get away from the missile, but it remained hot on her tail.

Bartlett swooped behind her and turned left, managing to draw the missile away from her to him instead, the bigger engines on his jet a more attractive target. He tried to lose it himself but...his F-4G couldn't maneuver the way he wanted it too and the missile ended up striking his right wing and blowing off its tip. His plane was trailing fuel and smoke, losing altitude fast.

"Captain!" gasped Nagase in shock.

"Hey, save the waterworks!" snapped Bartlett. "I'm just gonna bail out here, we can replace these things. It's gettin' the crew back that counts." said Bartlett as he lowered his plane close the water.

"Make a call to scramble the search and rescue copter and my reserve plane, okay?" he asked before he bailed out of the F-4G, letting it crash into the ocean with a plume of water.

After the water settled and the jet began its slow descent into the ocean, Blaze resolved to stay with Bartlett a little longer to watch over him, keeping a wary eye on the unknown ship that had shot the missile.

Of course, Thunderhead had a different idea. But instead of the usual, he sounded frantic and serious at the same time, like someone had just pulled the fire alarm inside of a school.

"Warning! Warning! Wardog squadron, return to base immediately!" shouted Thunderhead, his tone of voice near panic.

"What? What do you mean?!" exclaimed Chopper.

Blaze opened his mouth to follow up behind Chopper, but Nagase beat him to it.  
"But the rescue chopper isn't here yet."

"Leave that to the rescue team! Refuel and rearm at the base, then get back up in the air immediately. The enemy has declared war on us!"

At first Thunderhead's declaration went over their heads, but when the word "war" finally struk home true, Blaze's mouth dropped open and remained ajar, the pilot dismayed beyond belief at the thought of another war.

" _Another war? With who?_ " he thought while continuing to circle around Bartlett's parachute, wanting to stay and wait, but then again...he couldn't disobey direct orders.

"Nagase, Chopper, On my six. We're heading back." he ordered while he turned his plane back towards Sand Island.

"But the Captain-" sputtered Chopper before Blaze spoke sharply at him, "That is a direct order Chopper. Do not disobey."

Nagase glanced at Blaze's plane and wondered why the sudden change of attitude within the man, who was normally reserved to himself and somewhat quiet.

Chopper reluctantly joined Blaze and her on the return to Sand Island, Bartlett looking up from the water to watch them leave. He looked back at the approaching ship behind him and cursed to himself, clutching the pistol he had in his hand to his chest.

^ **^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

The reconnaissance UAV and the unidentified fighter aircraft that bounced us during the mission have been shot down. The country of origin of the ship is still unknown but it has ceased operations in our maritime defense zone. Once we sanitize our coastal waters, we will conduct a search and rescue operation to find Captain Jack Bartlett, who was shot down. Furthermore, the Union of Yuktobanian Republics has officially declared war on the Osean Federation.


	6. Narrow Margin

A/N Leave a fav and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 4 - Narrow Margin**

 _Amidst the eternal waves of time_

 _From a ripple of change shall the storm rise_

 _Out of the Abyss peer the eyes of a demon_

 _Behold the Razgriz, it's wings of black sheath_

* * *

 **\- Sand Island, Crew Quarters -**

 **\- September 27th, 2010 1145 hrs -**

Gennette switched on the camera he had been installing in the room he was given in the base, stepping back and looking at it. He raised his arms and motioned to the room around him.

"This is the room, or cell, I had been assigned to. Not much for space and liveliness, but it will work."

 **\- September 27th, 2010 1205 hrs -**

He had the first visitor to his room, Captain Hamilton. Unlike his superior, the Base Commander who locked him in there, Hamilton was very reasonable with him. He even got him his camera back, saying that if his uncle wasn't a soldier, he would've liked to have a job like his.

After the two had talked with one another for a few minutes, the landline phone started to ring and Hamilton got up to answer it for Gennette. He listened and responded with what was required a few times before he hung up and tapped his index finger on it three times.

Gennette looked at him with a little bit of worry before Hamilton turned toward him and held his hands behind his back, smiling a little.

"Well...We don't have a reason to hold you here anymore." he said calmly, Gennette being taken by surprise at the fact.

"What do you mean?" he asked, seeing Hamilton's smile morph into a quick scowl in a heartbeat.

"Yuktobania just declared war. They're launched an offensive simultaneously too. Our naval port at St. Hewlett is getting bombed right now." he said sourly before exiting room hastily, adjusting his hat on the way out.

Gennette was shocked at the declaration of war, pondering it for a second before he turned to the window and pulled down one of the blinds, peeking from the confines of his "cell" to the outside world.

There were only three of them now.

 **\- St. Hewlett Naval Port, Western Osea -**

 **\- September 27th, 2010 1443 hrs -**

Blaze remained silent the entire trip there, Nagase leading the now three of them as they approached St. Hewlett, the smoke clouds already visible from where they were. He felt guilty for leaving Bartlett there, silently cursing Yuktobania for starting a war with Osea, their long time ally...which confused him.

" _Why would Yuktobania declare war on their ally so suddenly and without warning? I thought that the country was led by an anti-war Prime Minister?_ " he thought before he was interrupted by Thunderhead's voice in his cockpit.

"Due to pressing circumstances, I'll be issuing an in-flight briefing."

He sent a data link to Nagase, Chopper and Blaze, the info he had gain appearing on their HUDs.

"Our naval port at St. Hewlett reports that Yuktobania aircraft have launched a surprise attack on the port. The situation there is critical with widespread panic. Ships from the 3rd Osean Naval Fleet docked at the port are currently under attack and taking heavy losses. Hurry to and provide air cover for our naval vessels attempting to escape the bay. One of these is the aircraft carrier OFS Kestrel. It is the flagship of the 3rd Fleet and a critical combat asset. You must protect the Kestrel at all costs." briefed Thunderhead, Blaze's eyes lighting up at the mentioning of the Kestrel, old memories flowing back to him.

"Damn, that's one stubborn boat to have survived this long." chuckled Blaze, accidentally out loud.

"What'd you say?" asked Chopper, Blaze quickly coughing.

"Uh nothing." he quickly said, cursing himself for that statement. " _Way to almost give it away, you dumbass._ "

"Edge, you lead the formation." ordered Thunderhead.

"Negative." she said while she swung to the left and allowed Blaze to take the lead. "You take the lead Blaze. I'll fly on your wing."

"Second Lieutenant Kei Nagase, follow your orders." commanded Thunderhead sternly.

"No, Blaze is leading. I'll protect his six o'clock. And I'm not going to lose another flight lead." argued Nagase, a deep sigh being heard from Thunderhead.

Another pilot in an F-14A Tomcat rocketed past them, obviously eager to enter the fray and not caring that he almost clipped Chopper's plane on the way there in his haste.

"Quit screwing around, this is war! The enemy's all over and they're gonna eat you alive!" he yelled, Chopper slightly chuckling before he edged his plane back a little.

"Ahh...I'd better stick to the trail position, thanks." he said.

The other pilot spoke over the radio again as he approached the flaming naval port, "This is Captain Snow, callsign Swordsmen. Engaging next enemy formation. Give me a position."

"This is the AA Cruiser Excalibur. The ship blocking us up ahead, you've got to move away! We can't use our SPY radar!" interrupted a sailor from on of the still working ships down below.

Blaze spotted the Kestrel sitting in port and his HUD spotted a formation of two Su-33s flying towards the ship.

"Cleared to engage!"

"Nagase, Chopper, disperse around the port and shoot down any hostile aircraft that is in your view. Don't let a single ship get sunk." ordered Blaze as soon as Thunderhead announced the all clear, barreling down towards the bay after the two Su-33s.

"Chopper, engaging."

"Edge, engaging."

Wardog was set loose onto the enemy forces attacking the harbor, Blaze shooting down the first two kills from those Su-33s.

"Blaze, I'll protect your six, alright?" asked Nagase as she swooped in behind his jet. "I won't let anything reach you."

"Just don't neglect your own backside, keep a level head and an eye on everything around you." said Blaze before he swung left, downing another plane with gunfire.

" _Wow...His maneuvers are flawless._ " she thought as she kept up with him, the two of them taking down a squadron of three Su-33s while Chopper took down two himself across the harbor.

"NIce shot Kid, Nagase." said Chopper with a smile as he watched the two.

"The tanker next to us just exploded!" shouted a frantic Osean Sailor. "Where's the fireboat? It's spreading to our ship, help us!"

"Hold on!" yelled Blaze as he dove towards the water, spotting the flaming ship. He flew dangerously close to the water and did something else crazy that both Nagase and Chopper were awed by.

He spun his plane around and knocked his wing into the water, scooping it up and spraying it onto the small patches of fire seeping onto the ship, effectively putting them out.

"Wow! Thanks a lot! Continue towards the dock exit!" exclaimed the same sailor, Blaze smirking as he returned to the air, spotting more enemy aircraft.

"Kid, you just keep amazing me." commented Chopper before turning to engage some Flanker-Ds. "I mean, extinguishing a fire with your jet fighter? That's unreal!"

"Their ships are just sitting at anchor. This is like target practice." chuckled a Yuke pilot before his radio cut off.

"So are you, but I don't go exclaiming it out to everyone." growled Blaze, shocking the Yuke pilots.

"Shoot him down then continue your attack on the Osean Naval vessels." ordered another Yuke pilot, three F-5Es hot on Blaze and Nagase's trail.

"Nagase, double back and get on their tails. Take em down." ordered Blaze, Nagase following the order instantly. She flipped her plane back over Blaze and the pursuing Yuke aircraft, arriving at the rear end of the trail and arming two missiles.

"Fox two!"

Two of the Yuke Su-33s went down in a burst of fire just a few moments later after the missiles ran them down, Blaze quickly swing his plane around and spraying the nose and cockpit of the last with gunfire.

"The fireboat got caught in the explosion, two...no three ships are burning now!" yelled one sailor, the port continuing to be drawn into chaos.

"This is not a drill…"

"Oh thanks for the heads up you idiot!" shouted another, Blaze having to hold back a chuckle.

"Burn!" laughed Chopper, unable to keep his laugh in.

"That was pretty funny." said Nagase, trying to keep her laugh in like Blaze.

The sky above the port was starting to become emptier, with Wardog and the defending Osean squadrons starting to eliminate the Yuke Squadrons.

"This is the Port Captain, all vessels, leave port immediately! Ships nearest to the exit first!"

"Don't let the ships leave port, sink em all." said a new Yuke pilot leading a fresh wave of twenty Su-33s supported by Su-35s as they poured into the port battle zone.

"Blaze, this is Edge, have you located the Kestrel?" asked Nagase as they raced out to engage the new formation.

"Yeah, that hunk of metal needs to get a move on! Come on guys, I've seen that thing move faster in its glory days!"

He was too engorged in the thrill of the engagement to realize what he had said, but luckily enough for him, Nagase and Chopper didn't catch his statement either, and the three of them continued to suppress the Yuke fighters over the port and protect their allied ships.

"The is the aircraft carrier Kestrel. Approaching bay exit!"

"Roger Kestrel! The Kestrel takes top priority! That barge over there, move it! I know you want to get outta here fast, but open up a path! That carrier's valuable!" announced the Port Captain as Blaze down two enemy fighters.

He glanced down at the ship to see if it was alright, smiling as he saw not a scratch on that ship.

"All friendly aircraft, protect the Kestrel for us!" ordered the Port Captain, Snow responding immediately.

"This is Swordsman, I'm on my way. That's our ship."

"Negative, this is AWACS Thunderhead. Swordsmen, remain in the eastern sector. Protect our territory and continue battle." interjected Thunderhead, Snow growling a little.

"But that's my carrier!"

"Wardog, provide cover for the Kestrel." he ordered, making Snow lose his temper for a moment.

"Dammit you pigheaded…! Alright, I'm counting on you Wardog, don't lose our ship!" called Snow.

"Roger Swordsmen, any pilot that draws close to the Kestrel will get a cockpit full of bullets." said Blaze darkly as he swung around to engage another squadron of Yuke fighters.

"AWACS, bogey-dope! Give us some targets!" said an Osean pilot defending the port.

"Bogeys inbound from 280...It's no use there's too many of them!"

"Get a hold of yourself! Your radar control is critical!"

"R-Roger...Fighters holding anti-ship missiles approaching the bay. Take em out!" apologized Thunderhead, his calm attitude returning.

"Roger, Nagase, Chopper, on me." said Blaze quickly before they flew over the bay exit and out to open waters to meet the enemy.

"A flight, engage the enemy ships. B flight, attack and destroy all port facilities. C flight, fly top cover and establish air superiority." relayed the Yuke squadron leader to the 10 planes in his squadron.

"Roger, commencing attack." responded on before he splan went up in smoke, thanks to Chopper.

"Over my dead body!" growled Chopper as he took down another one, the squadron diverging apart by the disruption.

"We pursued them back into the bay, where Snow took down two of them and Nagase three, leaving the last three to Blaze.

"Fox two." he said calmly, two of the Su-33s going down in flames, while the last one dove down towards the Kestrel in a last ditch effort to hit the massive ship.

I gunned him down quickly and his plane spiraled to the right down towards the water, Nagase, Chopper and him realizing too late what floated in the water.

"Those...Those are people floating in the waves…"

The plane smashed into the water, fire erupting over the water and covering it in gradient orange light and staining the water with black jet fuel ignited by the flames.

They shouldn't have looked.

There were people floating right there, so many of them, their faces painted with horrified looks.

"Kid...Did you see that?" uttered Chopper, shaken deeply by the sight.

Blaze didn't answer, the looks of horror permanently engraving themselves into his mind, never to leave him alone.

"Come on...Say something Kid." said Chopper, knowing that the plane that crashed was the one Blaze had shot down.

"I...I couldn't bear to watch." stuttered Blaze while the ships down below escaped out of the gulf.

"We're out of the gulf, but stay alert." cautioned one of the Osean ship captains in the fleet.

"The carriers entering the ocean. C'mon, whoever's out there, help us out. Get that bucket of bolts out of here." said Chopper softly, thinking of Nagase now and how she had reacted.

"This is Captain Anderson of the Aircraft Carrier Kestrel. My congratulations to all ships that managed to escape. As captain, I will now form a provisional battle fleet. The enemy's built a blockade with their fleet in front of us. We have to break through this and escape to safer waters. Good luck everybody. All friendly aircraft, your support is requested." said Anderson from aboard the carrier, Blaze wondering who the man was.

" _He must've replaced Captain Weeker…_ " he thought as a brave yet foolish Yuke pilot attempted to attack the ship, with Nagase quickly shooting it down.

"I'm there." said Snow, finally able to return to the sky above the Kestrel, flying up beside Wardog.

"Blaze, this is Thunderhead. Are you clear on the mission objective?"

"Yeah."

"Roger, begin at once."

"Range to blockade line confirmed at four miles." reported the Kestrel radio operator.

"The enemy formation is centered around that carrier, begin operations." ordered a Yuke fighter from a MR2 Nimrod naval patrol plane.

Three more Nimrods joined him as they flew towards the Osean fleet, supported by multiple Su-33s.

"Man these guys are stubborn." said Chopper as he avoided gatling gunfire from a Nimrod and blew off one of its wings.

"Special weapons free, destroy the enemy naval forces blocking the Kestrels path." ordered Blaze as he flew towards two frigates, flak fire exploding all around him.

He dropped four bombs, two for each ship, trails of fire replacing them both as they sunk into the water. Chopper and Nagase took down the rest of their ships and they cut back towards the fleet to help Snow and the other Osean pilots assist in taking down the Nimrods and Flanker-Ds.

"The smoke's blocking my view view ahead. I'm cutting in!" said Snow as he dove down and underneath two Flanker-Ds, circling back and hitting them both with two SAAM long range missiles.

"Missiles incoming from aft starboard! Two of them!" one of the Osean frigates called out.

Blaze spotted them approaching the ship and dove down, matching their speed with his F-5E and blew them out of the sky with two well placed bursts of gunfire.

"Nice!"

"I gotta admit, the enemy's got some good pilots." commented one of the Yuke fighters.

"The same goes to you." smirked Blaze out to the Yuke fighter before he shot it down.

Wardog teamed up with Captain Snow and assaulted the attacking enemy forces, pushing them back and allowing the Kestrel and her fleet to push past the blockade line and break right through it.

"It broke through man! That's one tough boat, yeah!" said Chopper joyfully, the Yuke forces retreating from the area.

"You're telling me." smiled Blaze as they formed up, Snow joining up with them.

"You Wardog pilots put up a great fight, well done."

"No problem Captain Snow." said Nagase.

"This is Captain Anderson. Our fleet has successfully escaped to safe waters. My thanks to our brave warriors of the sea...and in the air."

"So, Kid, how does it feel being the flight lead?" asked Chopper as they turned towards Sand Island.

"Feels good to be flight lead...but I'd rather have the Captain do it."

"I hear ya. Just wait until he hears about this when they pluck him outta the ocean!" he agreed, his statement being the last thing any of them said

They eventually flew back in silence to Sand Island, Gennette spotting them as they approached. He was hating himself for being the one to tell them the bad news.

Captain Bartlett, who was shot down that same day...never returned to Sand Island.

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

The aircraft carrier Kestrel has survived the enemy attack and has broken through into open waters . Although the 3rd Osean Naval Fleet sustained considerable losses, it's still combat capable.


	7. First Flight

A/N Leave a like and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 5 - First Flight**

 _Amidst the eternal waves of time_

 _From a ripple of change shall the storm rise_

 _Out of the Abyss peer the eyes of a demon_

 _Behold the Razgriz, it's wings of black sheath_

* * *

When the rescue chopper arrived, the Captain was nowhere to be seen. The only thing they found was the retreating enemy intelligence vessel. This small little island used to be a place of exile from the rest of the world...now it became the first line of defense against the enemy.

 **\- Sand Island -**

 **\- September 27th, 2010 1927 hrs -**

"Blaze? You in there?" asked Chopper as he knocked on the man's door, hearing someone shuffling inside.

"Come on man, it wasn't your fault! The Yukes decided to hit St. Hewlett and we couldn't do anything about it!" yelled Chopper before he stood back from the door, the lock opening and Blaze walking out into the hallway, looking at Chopper with a guilty expression.

"Yeah but what If we had stayed, he could still be here, but then what if the Kestrel hadn't made it and…"

"Stop, seriously." said Chopper as he clapped his hand onto Blaze's shoulder and smirked at him.

"Come on, let's go relax a little and let the sound of music soothe your nerves."

They walked to Chopper's room and opened the door, finding Gennette already sitting on the bed with Blurry from Puddle of Mudd blasting through the speakers. Blaze leaned against the door frame while Chopper sat down on his couch, his dog Kirk lying down on the ground beside him.

Blaze at first had only come here to make Chopper happy, but once he actually calmed down and just let the music flow through him, he found that it actually wasn't that bad. He couldn't even stop himself from tapping his foot lightly to the beat of the song, which made Chopper smile.

"We're an auxiliary squadron, you know, so His Highness the Lieutenant Colonel will just come down from the mainland and take over. That's all." he said as he relaxed a little and paused to listen to the song for a moment, letting out a deep sigh of relief.

"Ah...I love this sound. Calms me down, I'm gonna sleep well tonight."

"I was against this at first, but...now...yeah, you and me both." agreed Blaze, the music washing over his body and calming him down.

"I heard that the one that broke the Captain's heart fifteen years ago was a Recon Major in the Yuke army." said Gennette to add to the general conversation.

"Yeah, I did my history homework." said Chopper, leaning up slightly. "We were allies back then, man, the Base Commander sure wasn't being subtle about making accusations. 'Was there anything suspicious about the Captain's behavior?' he says."

His impersonation did well to make Gennette and Blaze chuckle, Chopper laughing as well at his own joke before he leaned down to pet Kirk. The labrador happily wagged its tail for the affection he showed and Gennette had to add in a few belly rubs too.

"Hell, I'm suspicious about the screw in his damn head." laughed Chopper before the air raid siren eliminated all thoughts of relaxing from the two pilots.

"Oh, son of a bitch…" sighed Blaze before he raced down the hallway, heading towards the hangers while Chopper fell over on the couch and clutched his head in his hands.

"You've got to be kidding me! An air raid? Give me a break man!" he groaned before jumping off the couch and ran out the door after Blaze.

Blaze was the first to reach the hangers and quickly climbed into his F-5E, simultaneously powering up the engines. He spotted Chopper climb into his plane then Nagase as well, both of them following him out onto the tarmac after the jets warmed up. Blaze was slapped in the face by memories as he saw the battle raging above the base, his eyes flashing with the explosions and a rather large form over the sky, but he blinked and it vanished.

"Scramble the jets, get up in the air and engage!" said the Base Control Tower, still trying to get a grip on the situation and get as many fighters into the air as possible.

Blaze was whipping his head around, getting a feel for the air battle above, estimating the enemy's strength until one fighter got its wings blown off and crashed severely close to Chopper's plane. Blaze flinched as flaming pieces of catapulted over Chopper's jet, thankfully not physically damaging it, but still scaring the shit out of him.

"Whoa! Holy shit!" he yelled in surprise until he drove out onto the runway and quickly sped down its length before taking off, shooting down an enemy plane that happened to be in front of him.

"The Captain's spare plane is still in the hangar." said Nagase as she started to go towards the runway. "What should we do about it?"

"Forget it." said Pops, his voice a relief to them when it appeared on the radio. "Once you get airborne, gain as much altitude as you can, fast. Don't let the enemy bounce you from above. Alright...now! The first enemy wave has passed by!"

A flight of enemy fighters soared by overhead and with the signal from Pops, Nagase gunned it down the runway and joined Chopper in the air, Blaze close behind them so that there was no more waiting for the three of them to be in the air together. With their strength up to full, Blaze, Nagase and Chopper organized themselves into a proper formation, ready to receive orders.

"Control Tower to Wardog, intercept enemy fighters and bombers. Don't let them destroy the runway."

"We're on it. Destroy all the opposition." ordered Blaze to Chopper and Nagase, the two splitting off to engage other aircraft.

"I see you've managed to make it up. Is your plane alright?" Pops asked, standing at the mouth of one of the hangers with his hand above his eyes to prevent the glare from the setting sun from blinding him.

"It's running smoothly Pops, thanks." said Blaze, Pops chuckling a little.

"Glad to hear it. Looks like keeping it in good shape has paid off."

Blaze turned right and shot down a fighter that sped past him, circling upward to go take down a bomber flying above them.

"Tupolev Tu-160s hm…? Tacky and old, but still gets the job done." analyzed Blaze as he targeted the fuselage located near the right wing and spit out some gunfire, the bullets hitting their mark and making explode in fire, its wing being ripped off in the resulting explosion.

"Nice kill!" said Nagase while she tailed another bomber, taking it down with a well placed missile.

Chopper and Nagase then teamed up to take down the last few bombers before they could wreak havoc on the base with their payload, only afterwards joining up with Blaze where he gave them both a thumbs up from the cockpit. As they were searching the skies for their next pray, a new friendly radar signature appeared coming in from the direction of the mainland, its direction putting it on a course for Sand Island.

"This is Wardog Leader, Lieutenant Colonel Ford. Sand Island, what's your current status?"

Blaze looked at his radar and from the name he figured that this was the guy Chopper was talking about earlier, the leader of Wardog that was coming to take command of the squadron. To be honest, he couldn't help but snort a little at how bad the timing was for this guy to show up during the middle of an aerial attack.

"This is Base Control, we are under air attack. Repeat, we are under air attack."

"I trust you can hold the runway until I arrive?" asked Ford.

"You'll have a clean runway sir." said Blaze as he dodged a missile from an Su-27 tailing him.

"Right, protect it at all costs." Ford replied as he sped up his approach toward the base.

Blaze noticed the rate at which his signature approaching the base speed up and he cursed under his breath, seeing that they had a limited amount of time to clear the skies enough for the Lieutenant Colonel to land under relative safety. He figured the man hadn't equipped his fighter jet with any weapons either, if he was planning on merely landing.

" _If only he had actually armed his craft...it would be great if he joined us in the fight to take some of the pressure off._ "

"Second wave of bombers approaching! Take em down!" announced the Control Tower as more enemies appeared on radar from the same attack vector as every previous engagement.

"Geez, they want to destroy the very island, not just the base!" remarked Chopper.

"I see them on the edge of my radar, approaching fast. Pops is taking off too." said Nagase before her gaze drifted down at the base.

Pops had flown the C-1 Trader he had spent much of his time tuning up and fixing with any parts he could get his hands on, and watching it go down the runway and gracefully lift off into the air brought a smile to Nagase's lips. The way he flew it was almost graceful, and as it climbed slowly, higher into the air to avoid the conflict, it made her thankful for Pops being there.

But then Chopper took a glance down and saw one of the hangar doors slid open and, unbelievably, one of the spare jet fighters started to roll out with its engines fired up.

"Look at the hangar!" called out Chopper. "Who the hell pulled that out?!"

"This is Grimm. I was in the hangar helping out the mechanics. I'm taking off!"

"Grimm?! The hell you are!" shot back Chopper. "You're not even out of replacement pilot training yet! Aren't there any other spare pilots around?"

"I didn't see any." responded Grimm.

"There's no time. Be careful Grimm, I'll cover you." said Nagase as she swung her plane around to attack the second wave as it approached.

"I'll try."

"Kid, Grimm's taking off. I'm not sure if he can handle this. Are we just gonna watch?" asked Chopper, Blaze taking down two fighters quickly and speeding past their falling wrecks to the next.

"Hell no. We'll cover you from here Grimm, just focus on getting that plane into the air." ordered Blaze in a rather gruff manner.

Unfortunately for them Grimm's taxi toward the runway wasn't unnoticed by the enemy, a Yuke reporting to their quickly advancing allies coming from the usual attack vector. Of course the order was given to prevent any more fighters from Sand Island from taking off to join the fight, so Blaze, Nagase and Chopper had to work even harder to protect not only the base, but Grimm himself.

"Control systems are okay..." said Grimm, running through his pre-flight checks as best as he could.

Nagase and Chopper flew side by side, shooting down two Su-34s that attempted to bomb the runway to prevent Grimm from taking off. Chopper sucked in a breath though when it seemed like one of the jets would crash in front of Grimm, but thankfully one of its wings sheared off and took it in a completely opposite direction, saving Grimm from having to try and maneuver around it.

"Oil pressure...No problems. Engine sounds great, thank you mechanics."

"Just keep going Grimm, I have eyes on you. Don't stop for anything, I'm ordering you to get that bird in the air immediately!"

Grimm clutched the throttle and flight stick tightly with his hands, sweat accumulating on his forehead under his flight helmet from the anticipation. He'd made a couple of flights over the base in training, but this was his graduation by fire. As he got onto the runway and cast all doubts off to the side, several mechanics spotted him and one tried to wave him down.

"No, stop! Get back here!" the mechanic shouted, about to run after him if not for one of his colleagues holding him back.

"Just let him go, he'll be fine. We have to find cover first! It's dangerous out here!"

"I'm about to take off, can you see me from up there?" asked Grimm, Blaze answering him by flying over him upside down, giving him a thumbs up, to which Grimm smiled at.

After finishing all of the checks and taking several breaths to calm himself down and psyche himself up at the same time for what was about to happen, he then pushed the throttle forward slowly, the jet rolling down the runway and picking up speed little by little. The engines roared and the hangars and buildings went by in a blur before Grimm was put back in his seat as he made a quick take off, something Pops had taught him.

Once he was up in the air he was quick to pull his visor down to protect his eyes against the setting sun's glare and whipped his head around, waiting for orders.

"Grimm! Get over here and cover my six!" exclaimed Chopper as a squadron of Su-27s started to tail him, Grimm hurrying over to assist.

"This is Airman First Class Hans Grimm, callsign Archer. Control Tower and all aircraft, I will be joining the Wardog Squadron." announced Grimm on the way there before he scored his first kill off one of the fighters that were tailing Chopper.

"This is the Control Tower, roger that. Blaze, take care of him for us."

Blaze made sure to keep a close eye on Grimm as he flew with Chopper, acting as his backup on one side of the base while he and Nagase occupied the other half. Just by watching the young rookie he could see that he was a very fast learner, copying many of Chopper's movements and even some from the Yuke pilots.

While he was focusing on Grimm and the enemy planes he was dog fighting, Nagase was hot on his tail, keeping her promise of always keeping him safe. Even though she was keeping her head on a swivel, ready to attack an enemy fighter at a moment's notice, she was guilty of zoning out for a few moments at a time.

Not on any trivial matters or things, but on the one she was protecting. Needless to say she was mesmerized by her flight lead's movements, the way he flew a jet fighter was enough to make her head spin.

"This is Wardog Leader. Sand Island, I'm out of fuel. Requesting clearance to land."

Ford's announcement over the radio waves was enough to bring her out from her mind and alert the others to his position on radar, and his appearance on their HUDS. He was flying a little low towards the ground and was on direct approach to the base, no evasive actions being made, nothing.

He was a sitting duck, and that made Blaze clench his jaw muscles.

"Negative, Lieutenant Colonel Ford, you can't land! We're under attack!" reported the Control Tower as an enemy fighter crashed close by, spewing fire and smoke.

Ford disregarded their warning and continued forward. "All friendly aircraft, cover me while I land."

"What are you, insane?!" yelled Chopper, realizing too late that he had said that out loud.

"Second Lieutenant Alvin H. Davenport, is that you?" asked Ford.

"U-Uh, yes, sir."

"I'll make sure to write you up after I-"

The warning sirens only sounded off for a split second before his jet was hit with a missile directly in the back, the engines blowing apart and engulfing his plane in fire. There was no white parachute and Blaze watched with a pained heart as the jet smashed into the tarmac, sending fragments of burning and twisted metal in a wide spray.

The jet skid down the runway on its belly, twisting in a wide circle before finally coming to a halt, and before Blaze could even say anything Chopper had already beaten him to the punch.

"Get a rescue team to the Lieutenant Colonel Ford now!" yelled Chopper, sounding genuinely worried for the Lieutenant Colonel's well being.

"Roger, we're sending a team to his plane ASAP."

With that problem taken care of, hopefully, Blaze looked through the air, looking for any new targets besides the ones already spotted. He squinted his eyes when he saw a shadow pass over some of the visible stars and clenched his fingers around the throttle and flight stick.

"Stealth fighters are flying over! Repeat, Stealth fighters! Engage on sight!" he said before shooting down the stealth bomber he had spotted, causing the other unseen terrors to scramble away to avoid being shot down.

Grimm and Chopper took down two enemies each then searched the skies, having difficulty finding a jet without the assistance of their radars or HUDs at first. Grimm then thought to remove his visor and use his own eyes without anything in front of them to search, and finally managed to catch a glimpse of one.

He continued to look and his efforts paid off when he found a flight of three of the bombers by identifying their blackened silhouettes against the stars in the night sky, now that the sun had set behind the horizon.

"There! Above us, Second Lieutenant!"

"Where?! I can't see 'em!" shouted back Chopper.

"Take your glare visor off! It's easier to see them that way!" replied back Grimm before he took the initiative, surprising Chopper.

He followed the Rookie's advice however and once he had slid his glare visor up it took him no time at all to see what Grimm was charging too and whooped as he pushed the throttle forward to catch up to him.

Nagase did the same technique after a suggestion from Blaze and they took care of the stealth fighters on their side of the base, the four of them working in tandem to completely rid the skies of the stealth bombers and any straggling fighter aircraft. Once the last Yuke fighter was destroyed, Blaze leaned back in his flight seat and let his jet's auto-pilot level itself out, Nagase on his side, soon followed by Chopper and Grimm.

"Control Tower to all aircraft. All bombers and fighters confirmed destroyed. Thanks for protecting our base everyone!" announced the Control Tower, Blaze chuckling.

He pulled out his coin and rubbed his thumb across its surface, finally able to relax and breath easy with the threat of the enemy now gone.

"Was my flying alright?" asked Grimm, eager to hear everyone's input, the most important being Blaze's.

"Yeah." he said, returning to his now slightly less solemn attitude. "You were fine."

"You did great Grimm. Welcome to Wardog." congratulated Nagase with a smile.

"Glad to have you along for the ride. Although, I will warn you, don't let Kid's attitude rub off on you." joked Chopper, Blaze's "attitude" quickly becoming dead serious.

"Alvin H. Davenport, you don't want to run twenty laps around the entire island on all fours with a weighted vest on, do you?" asked Blaze, Chopper shutting up quickly while Nagase and Grimm burst out laughing.

"No-No sir…" muttered Chopper while Grimm got a chance to say what he was going to say.

"Thank you sir, everyone, it was because of your support." he said before cheering was heard from the base below on the radio.

"Come on, let's get a welcoming party going!" announced one of the base staff, but Nagase, Chopper and Blaze had another idea.

They had been in the air all day and beyond tired, time for a simple thing they all wanted right at that very second. Sleep.

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

We sustained damage but our efforts prevented the destruction of the base. The base is still combat capable with repairs proceeding at a rapid pace.

 **\- Crew Break Room -**

 **\- September 27th, 2010 1930 hrs -**

Blaze stumbled into the Break Room, unoccupied by the moment, since the base staff were either repairing the base or partying in Hangar Two. He was followed by Nagase and Chopper and Grimm, the four of them both exhausted after coming from being up in the air so suddenly and fighting for their lives. Grimm was the least affected, since Blaze had deduced he was still going strong after the adrenaline of being in his first real fight.

"My god I can't feel my legs…" groaned Chopper as he collapsed, literally to the ground, and lied there, un-moving.

Blaze fell down onto the couch, Nagase going down beside him and letting out a heavy sigh. The ground rescue team had found Lieutenant Colonel Ford unconscious in his plane, putting out the fire around him before it reached him. He was in the infirmary at the moment, but his condition was unknown.

"You know, this floor feels really...really comfortable…" murmured Chopper, his voice becoming quieter as sleep started to overcome him.

Soon he began to snore rather loudly, Blaze poking him with his foot and snickering at how he didn't even budge, too tired to move let alone wake up.

"I think I'm gonna take up on the guy's offer to party. You want to go Lieutenant Davenport?" asked Grimm, Chopper groaning and glaring at him with red eyes.

"It's Chopper and...no...I want sleep…" he muttered before he closed his eyes again and went back to sleep, Nagase and Blaze laughing at him.

"Oh well, suit yourself." said Grimm before he left the Break Room, Nagase yawning.

"You and me both, let's get to bed." said Blaze as he got up off the couch and made sure not to step on Chopper, then left the room.

Nagase followed behind him and departed to her room, both of the weary pilots falling into their beds and quickly delving into the endless void of sleep.

While they slept, and Grimm was off partying with the staff, a lone fighter, a Su-35 Super Flanker, was flying over the base, no markings or distinctions at all on its surface. It had a dark grey color with a single red triangle with a slash through it on each wingtip in the spot of a air force mark, a single red stripe running through the middle of the plane, and its designation number a black triple zero.

Its cockpit was darkened a little to where you couldn't see in to see the pilot inside. Said pilot had observed the entire battle from a distance, watching every pilot and their maneuvers for a specific person. He had found him in the Wardog pilot, the one who was leading the squadron and had scored the most kills.

" _Seems you've found a new job...but you seemed rusty. I'm going to have to test you...and see if you still got it…_ " thought the man before he flew away from the base and out towards land, more specifically...the Waldriech Mountains.

 **\- September 28th, 2010 0712 hrs -**

From the sky, the morning after, Pops came back like nothing had come happened...as if the open sky had always been his one true home. Only seventeen hours had passed since the war began, and Yuktobania's war strategies seemed to be minutely timed to avoid giving Osea any chance of a counterattack.

Gennette had gotten a notice of assignment as a member of the press corps. He guessed Captain Hamilton had pulled a few strings for him, and he didn't waste any time in getting to work.

"Second Lieutenant Nagase, sitting inside the crew break room. She's sitting by herself, writing something in her book. Nobody knew what she was writing." silently narrated Gennette as he zoomed in a little with his recorder.

She had woken up early and had been sitting on the couch all morning, writing in that book of hers. Grimm was still asleep, absolutely tired after the party from last night, and Chopper...no one bothered to remove him from the floor when they found him. They know not to disturb him when he sleeps. He's still on the floor.

Blaze on the other hand was doing what he did every morning, flying in his F-5E over the base, alone and wanting to be alone. Everyone respected him after what he's accomplished for the base and they would allow him to do so. The mechanics would even wake up early for him and would prep his plane for him, getting it ready to fly and even a wax job.

He realized these people may well be the story he was looking for all this time. There was no doubt about it.


	8. Rendezvous

A/N Leave a fav and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 6 - Rendezvous**

 _Amidst the eternal waves of time_

 _From a ripple of change shall the storm rise_

 _Out of the Abyss peer the eyes of a demon_

 _Behold the Razgriz, it's wings of black sheath_

* * *

 **\- Sand Island Hangar Four -**

 **\- September 28th, 2010 1034 hrs -**

In the many hours since the attack on Sand Island by Yuke forces, the only bad thing to result from it was the passing of Ford when he was shot down while trying to land at the base. Since he was Wardog's leader, a small service was held for him at the base, but afterwards he was sent back to Osea to have a proper funeral with his family in attendance.

A little later, Blaze landed his F-5E after his usual morning flight and got out of the cockpit when he turned back and saw Nagase and Grimm looking at him with unnaturally big smiles.

"Uh...guys? Why are you smiling like that? And where's Chopper?" he asked, their smiles remaining large.

"Chopper's still asleep on the floor in the break room, but to a more...exciting matter…" said Nagase when she pulled out some papers and handed them to Blaze.

He looked them over and his eyes widened when he reached the end, re-reading it over and over to make sure he was seeing straight.

"You can't be serious…" he said with a glance at the two, both of them vigorously nodding.

Blaze looked back at his F-5E and scrambled into the cockpit, taking off the squadron patches taped to the dashboard and pocketing them, then climbed back out with a smile as large as Nagase's and Grimm's. They were about to go to the break room as a group to retrieve Chopper, but they soon found out someone else must have done that for them.

The man himself yawned as he appeared out of the hangar they were standing in front of and walked towards the three of them while rubbing his eyes free of the groggy morning feeling. He stopped after finishing and gazed from one to the other, a little creeped out at their smiles.

"Uh...What's going on?" he asked with a yawn, Blaze handing him the papers he held in his hand and allowing him to read them.

Chopper took them and rubbed his eyes again before mumbling to himself the contents of the papers, nothing jumping out at him at first. They knew exactly when he reached the juicy part when Chopper's eyes lit up and he instantly wasn't tired anymore, that groggy morning feeling getting kicked out of him.

"We're getting new planes?!" he exclaimed, Grimm vigorously nodding his head.

"Better than that, they're F-14D Super Tomcats! We managed to convince the Base Commander to give us some new planes, but I didn't expect Super Tomcats!"

"Hell yeah!" laughed Chopper in happiness, Blaze sharing a laugh with him.

As quickly as his attitude changed, it morphed to his dead serious mode and glared at the three of them while crossing his arms, "The F-14D can go much faster and has different controls as compared to the F-5E, so I want all of you training your hearts out in preparation for our planes, and I do mean the Simulator. If you do not follow these orders I will chase you in a jeep around the entire island while you do backwards bear-crawls with a weighted vest thirty times over."

Nagase, Grimm and Chopper quickly turned white at the thought of that, but Chopper had a smirk on his face.

"Well that means you have to do that as well. Hope you have fun Kid." he said before Blaze laughed darkly.

"Oh really? Oh Chopper, Chopper, Chopper…" Blaze shook his head slowly as he clapped a hand on his shoulder. "I've flown the F-14D before, as well as its other variants, and many other jets as well. So, Alvin H. Davenport, _you_ have fun."

Chopper's bravado quickly faded at the grin Blaze gave him and he quaked a little in his boots, Grimm covering his mouth to muffle a laugh while Nagase turned her head away to stifle her laughter.

"Y-You're insane, you know that?" stuttered Chopper as Blaze let go of him, chuckling.

"Just a little, I have to so I can lead you three." he said before he returned back to his normal self.

"Well, u-uh...I'll get right on that later. First thing's first, breakfast."

"I'll go with you Chopper." said Grimm with a smile. "I'm hungry too."

Chopper grinned as he put an arm around his junior's shoulders and began to walk away with him, starting up a story as they walked, while Nagase was left standing next to Blaze. Blaze chuckled to himself as he watched them go, Nagase smiling and sharing a laugh with him as well.

"Those two seem like best buddies now, don't you think?" asked Blaze with a glance at her.

"Yes, they do...and Grimm's only been here for a day. No, not even a full day." he replied.

Nagase looked at him with a smile, but after a couple of seconds her eyes widened a little when she held the gaze for a little bit longer then necessary and looked away.

"I'll see you later, Blaze."

She turned to leave, giving Blaze little to no time to bid her a farewell, and by then she was already out of earshot and he was left speechless. He eventually just shrugged and went off to do his own thing as well.

The next day came and like kids waking up on Christmas day, excited to see all of the presents they received, the Wardog pilots were quick to run from their bunks outside to see their new gifts. And excited they were, when they found a set of shiny, brand new F-14D Super Tomcats ready and waiting for them on the tarmac, all lined up in a row looking pretty.

Blaze was the first to climb into his, taping the squadron patches he had retrieved from his old jet inside and sitting in the seat, relaxing and just letting his mind wander freely. After looking at Nagase, Chopper and Grimm for a few moments he closed his eyes and delved into a deep sleep, resting his arms behind his back and letting out a deep breath.

He was in the cockpit of a F-22A Raptor, blue tinted with a unique squadron emblem painted on the vertical stabilizers, flying through a foggy sky with wind blowing past the canopy. He looked around then swooped to the left, narrowly avoiding a burning hunk of rock and stone falling from the sky and towards the vast ocean below.

" _The sky's raining with meteors! Watch your heads and be careful_ " he heard a voice yell out, but not through the radio.

Blaze looked around frantically for more meteors, dodging them with every spin and turn he could manage until the clouds parted and he gazed down at a massive facility built into a small island.

Suddenly, a ominous voice was heard, speaking in a latin tongue and singing an ominous song.

" _Rex...Rex tremendae...majestatis!_ " it sang, Blaze looking around frantically for the source of the voice as the intensity of the falling meteors increased.

" _Qui salvandos salvas gra salva me...Salva me, fons pietatis._ "

A dark shadow appeared over his plane and he looked up, his eyes widening in shock. Above him was a plane marked with the numbers 011. That was the first thing he saw. The second was a meteor have the size of the plane barreling down from the heavens down towards earth, the plane directly in its path.

He heard the pilot utter a few words...five simple words, words that struck Blaze in all the wrong places. The meteor slammed into the plane, smashing it in half and engulfing it in a hunk of fire and wreckage, the smoldering ball rapidly descending towards the earth.

"No!" yelled out Blaze before another shadow covered him and he looked straight above him, not even having time to scream as a second meteor smashed into him. His entire body was crushed and as he fell towards the earth, as single voice was heard, deep, dark and ominous.

" _The gate to the new world has been opened. My soul shall be the wind that enters that gate. When the sleeping king awakes, my body too, shall surely rise._ "

"Blaze!"

He jolted awake covered with sweat from his forehead and under his arms, breathing in short, rapid gasps of air, with Grimm, Nagase and Chopper huddled around his plan with concerned looks.

"Kid, you alright? You seem like you've seen a ghost." said Chopper with a raised eyebrow, quickly seeing the patches taped inside the cockpit before Blaze's arm covered them from view.

"Yeah...I'm fine. Just...a bad dream is all…" he said before he leaped out of the cockpit, sealed the canopy up tight, then walked away with his hands in his pockets.

Something clinked against the ground as he walked away, but Blaze didn't hear the sound and completely ignored the sound. Grimm walked over to what had fallen and discovered it was the coin that he always flipped during briefings or when he was relaxing. He picked it up and looked at the face for a moment before flipping it over in his palm, intrigued at what it held on the other side.

"What do you have there Grimm?" asked Nagase, wanting to see what it was.

"It's Blaze's coin and actually...I don't know. I've never seen a symbol like this." said Grimm at the sight of the symbol engraved onto the face of the coin.

"I'll hold onto it and give it to Blaze when I get a chance." said Chopper, grabbing onto the coin and pocketing it quickly.

"Well, guessing we're having a mission soon, I'm going to take a load off for a while. See you guys later." said Nagase before walking away, Grimm and Chopper departing from Blaze's F-14D.

 **\- Briefing Room -**

 **\- September 30th, 2010 1204 hrs -**

Colonel Perrault walked into the room and glared at the Wardog pilots before him, coughing loudly to gain their attention.

"Attention! Listen up." he said, starting the briefing.

"The biggest mistake Yuktobania has made in their blitz attack is that it had failed to sink any of our aircraft carriers. We'll evacuate all intact carriers to our inland sea, then use them as a base to rebuild our counter strike force. You've been called to service on a very important operation, people. Keep that in mind out there." began Perrault, nodding to the Briefer to continue.

The projector screen shifted to a view of Osea's inland waters, the Eaglin Straits, and the Briefer began.

"Today, at 1500 hours, four carriers from the 3rd Osean naval fleet will rendezvous at the Eaglin Straits. These carriers are the Vulture, the Buzzard, the Barbet, and the Kestrel, which has successfully escaped Port St. Hewlett thanks to your help. Your mission is to coordinate with the Kestrel and provide top cover for all carriers during the rendezvous. Should you encounter enemy attack, defend the four carriers at all costs. The situation is fluid, so be sure to choose an aircraft with good defensive ability against air threats. Dismissed." finished the Briefer as the lights turned back on, Blaze hurrying out of the room to reach his plane first. Chopper, Nagase and Grimm followed close behind, the latter fully being inducted into the squadron officially after the attack on Sand Island by Yuktobanian Forces.

Soon they armed their new aircraft and took off towards the inland seas of Osea, meeting up with the OFS Kestrel and her sister ship, the OFS Barbet, along with their escort force.

It was nothing, easiest mission in the world. That's what it was supposed to be. It wasn't just them, but everyone the Osean Military could get their hands on. Their planes filled the sky like a huge aluminum cloud. There was no way the enemy could attack.

The queens of the ocean made it to the inland sea and were ready for the rendezvous. It's all made in the shade now.

 **\- Eaglin Straits, Central Osea -**

 **\- 16°11'36"N 167°08'56"W -**

 **\- September 30th, 2010 1422 hrs -**

Blaze, Nagase, Chopper and Grimm made a half circle over the Kestrel as she approached the Vulture and Buzzard with the Barbet, other OADF and OMDF fighters blanketing the skies over the straits. They had already been in the air performing routine aerial patrol operations over the area as the carriers performed their own maneuvers together within the confines of the straits, so it wasn't hard for them to want to get back home. Thankfully it didn't take long for the call to be made for the carriers to group up together and to let the squadrons not assigned to them to return back, meaning Wardog and a few others.

"This is Thunderhead. We've arrived outside the range of enemy air attack. Permission granted to return to your assigned bases in sequence. Aircraft may refuel for the return trip if required. Hold above the carrier for the tanker aircraft." reported Thunderhead, slightly bored himself after watching the radar for the past two hours.

Chopper yawned a little in boredom and whined, "Everyone's starting to leave, can we go yet?"

"Wardog Squadron, I told you to wait for the tanker plane above the carrier."

"I swear man…" muttered Chopper as he turned his plane around with the others to circle back over the Kestrel.

Their Super Tomcats were way more maneuverable than the F-5Es they once flew and could carry a larger payload consisting of regular missiles and XLAA rapid pursuit missiles. Unfortunately for Blaze, he was already well-accustomed to all of the features, beeps, whistles and every little nook and cranny of the Super Tomcat, how it elevates, rolls, turns, everything. So in his boredom he sighed and started flying upside down for fun, waving at Nagase and Chopper from his cockpit.

Chopper shared a chuckle and Nagase actually stifled a small giggle, Blaze grinning as he turned his plane back around the right way and slowed down. Chopper, Nagase and Grimm did the same since they were over the Kestrel again, and they didn't want Thunderhead to berate them about it again.

"Hey...what is that? Is my radar on the fritz?" questioned Chopper, Blaze glancing down at his radar.

He could see a couple of unknown blips on the radar moving toward their location, and that alone was enough to make bells as loud as missile alert sirens begin to

"It's showing up on mine too." added Grimm.

"Where'd it come from? How come the morons at Thunder-blockhead didn't notice it? Yo, Kid!"

"You have to call him "Captain" now."

Chopper rolled his eyes at Grimm's comment. "Yeah, Yeah. Hey, you think we should report this?"

Before he could do so, one of the officers aboard Thunderhead's E-767 noticed the blips and pointed them out to the man, who quickly radioed in all of the available air flights within the area with a sense of urgency in his voice.

"Enemy approaching! All units, return to you Combat Air Patrol stations! Protect the carriers!" announced Thunderhead. "We have four carriers. Don't let them sink even one!"

"Wardog, engage." ordered Blaze, his wingman only having to hear those two words before splitting off the meet the incoming threat.

From what Blaze could see on their IFF, there were several incoming squadrons, but that's the only thing they could see. The weather wasn't giving them any favors, and to make it worse, it was just them and a couple other squadrons against who knows how many enemy squadrons sent to attack them. Most of their backup had come with the carriers, and were on them right at that particular moment, shitty timing at its finest.

"I can't take off. Shoot down those enemy planes for me!" said Snow from his aircraft, he and his flight unit stuck on the deck of the Kestrel.

"Targets dead ahead, three of them. Su-34 Fullbacks carrying anti-ship missiles." informed Blaze while simultaneously preparing three XLAAs.

"Fox two!" said Nagase, having beaten him to it and with three trigger taps, the Harriers were gone in a flash of red and orange.

He guessed that the enemy would try to attack in groups like that again, but instead of focus his squadron in one area he split them up, Chopper and Grimm going to cover the other side of the area while he and Nagase stayed where they were to intercept. The other allied fighters spread out evenly to bolster their sides, and with a quick survey of the area Blaze determined the layout was sufficient.

"Visibility is poor. It's the perfect time and place for a surprise attack...dammit." murmured Nagase, Blaze agreeing with her.

"Yeah, it is."

"I can't shake the feeling that everything's working against us...and how someone is watching us...knows our every move." said Grimm, shivering a little from the thought.

Blaze smirked at how quickly Grimm had adjusted to his new role as Wardog's number four, his nervousness and doubt having been all or almost erased. He had taken up Bartlett's position in flying with Blaze every morning, and while the two of them were up there, they would just talk. Not about any specific subject or topic, they would just talk.

It was able to put Grimm at ease and through that, Blaze was able to part some wisdom into the younger pilot and teach him about how to keep a level head while in the air. To keep your wits about you and always have your head on a swivel, and from there, Grimm began to believe.

"More targets appearing on radar, closing fast." informed Thunderhead, Blaze spotting the targets approaching from behind the Kestrel and Barbet.

"Stick to the plan and formation. Chopper, Grimm, good luck. Nagase, you know what to do."

"Roger, don't get killed." joked Chopper as he shot down a Harrier jet with no trouble at all.

Blaze spun through the line of four Harrier jets, making them spread apart and make them easier targets for Nagase to pick off.

"Fox two."

They both launched two missiles each, and because of the Su-34's somewhat limited maneuverability or the lack of a quick response from their pilots, the Yuke fighters were swiftly taken down by the pair while another nearby squadron was harassed by their allies and eventually brought down.

Chopper and Grimm encountered their own resistance on their side and while their allies had some trouble at first, with them leading the pack they were able to succeed against the first wave of fighters.

"The carrier aircraft are airborne!" pointed out Grimm, Blaze peering back to see Snow and another Tomcat shoot off from the Kestrel.

They were joined by another pair of Tomcats, as well as several other carrier flight groups launched from the Vulture, Buzzard and Barbet.

"Alright, I'm airborne. Come and get me."

"Took you guys long enough!" laughed Blaze as Snow joined them on the west side with his squadron.

"Nice planes Wardog, Super Tomcats...a very good choice." replied Snow with a chuckle.

"Captain Snow, you're responsible for the air defense effort." said Captain Anderson from the Kestrels control room.

"Roger Captain Anderson. Alright gentlemen, it's time to clean house!"

Right after getting themselves adjusted more enemy fighters appeared on radar from both sides, and this time the Fullbacks were joined by allied fighters, MiG-21s and MiG-25s, that when the two forces met the whole sky divulged into chaos. Snow split off from the two with his wingman to engage one of the fighter squadrons while Blaze and Nagase made it their mission to shoot down the Harriers, and with their allies distracting their escorts, it was a simple task.

"Full power to engines! We must meet up with the other carriers at once!" ordered the Captain of the OFS Barbet.

She and the Kestrel made some maneuvers to meet up with one another, as well as their escort ships, and made headway through the waters as quickly as they could. The Buzzard and Vulture were near the other side of the straits and were waiting for them, Chopper, Grimm and their protectors doing great work in preventing any threats from getting close to the carriers.

"Multiple bandits on radar. Heads up, they're carrying long range anti-ship missiles. Do not allow them to get within range of the carriers. Fly out to intercept." radioed Thunderhead, Blaze glancing for a moment at his radar to see they were closing in from their direction.

"Nagase, let's go." he said while turning towards the approaching enemy aircraft, Nagase right behind him.

When they got close enough, their HUDs identified them as Osean made F-35Cs, smaller aircraft compared to the Raptor, but uit maintained its stealth and could be carrier launched and is effective in both air to air and air to air engagements. Blaze assumed that Yuktobania must've bought them from Osea before they declared war.

"Nagase, I got this. Watch and learn!" smirked Blaze while reading four XLAAs.

When he locked onto all four aircraft, he started to barrel roll violently, spinning through the air like a drill.

"Fox three, Fox three!" he yelled as he let the missiles go all at once, their trails spraying out in a circular motion and arching around in a circle before hitting their marks, regardless if they tried to dodge or not.

"Smooth as silk." commented Snow, having witnessed the feat.

"Nice one Captain." said Grimm as he and Chopper rejoined them as they flew back to the carriers.

Blaze smiled a little before his eyes wandered down to his radar and he narrowed them, seeing a single unknown blip at the very edge of the radar. He read its altitude and gasped a little at the height.

" _What kind of aircraft is that?_ " he thought before Thunderheads voice interrupted his thoughts...again.

"All fighters are down, area sanitized. Wardog, your air-defense mission is complete. Hold for the tanker aircraft above the Kestrel."

Blaze slowed down a little over the carrier, Nagase, Grimm and Chopper doing the same before a bright light started to fall towards them.

"Ballistic missile incoming!" warned one of the carriers radio operators.

"Ballistic missile?! Where'd they launch that from?" asked another as the bright light split apart into six separate smaller bulbs.

Within a matter of seconds, the sky above the carriers Vulture and Buzzard, as well as their escort ships and their air squadrons, was consumed by a collection of massive fire clouds of swirling red, oranges and yellows. The concussive blast from the simultaneous explosions was enough to shatter glass on the warships and the fighter jets caught in the vicinity of them, as well as cause physical damage to their hulls and frames, while to the horror of anyone else, those who were unlucky enough to be within the fireballs flew out as terrifying, disfigured, molten and fused together hunks of metal.

What was even worse was that the heat from these fireballs was so intense that the people not protected inside of the vessels was practically fried and any exposed metal, which included practically everything, physically melted.

Peace turned to hell real quick.

"Allied Squadron wiped out! What the hell happened?!"

"The carrier! The carrier's hit! It's tipping!"

"Someone, anyone! What's happening?!" called out Nagase frantically, desperately trying to get a hold of the situation.

"I don't know!" responded Snow, having joined Wardog with his squadron after the end of the attack. "Everything below five thousand feet was just annihilated!"

Blaze looked frantically down at the chaotic scene playing out below them, the Vulture having sustained some minor damage but already had several fires breaking out on the deck from fighters jets that were either smashed to pieces or melted to the point they got ignited from the heart.

The Buzzard on the other hand had been dealt a death blow, the once sleek and gorgeous aircraft carrier now bent and warped like putty, part of its flight deck and bow disfigured and melted while the blast had caused huge holes to be punched through its hull and caused it to start listing dangerously to the right. The more water that guzzled into the ship, the more it listed, sending men and equipment hurtling down the deck into the water.

"Second missile incoming!" warned Thunderhead, making the situation even worse.

"Dammit! Listen up, if you want to survive, climb above five thousand feet before that thing hits! All units, move it! Kestrel, Barbett, evasive action!" bellowed Snow before he tipped his plane's nose straight up and gunned it.

"Follow Snow!" ordered Blaze, following upwards towards the clouds, hoping to get a spot of the unknown blip he saw earlier.

Chopper, Grimm and Nagase were quick to follow, hoping their allies in the sky would follow suit while their primary focus was on getting themselves out of harm's way.

As they climbed Blaze wrenched his head back to try and get a glimpse on the approaching missile and his stomach churned when he spotted it. It had a huge body, built like an intercontinental ballistic missile, and at this point it could very well be one that was launched all the way from Yuktobania.

Maybe that unknown plane had been a spy plane sent there to get the coordinates needed for the long-range strike, and the enemy jets sent there were acting as a diversion for the real attack.

All of these thoughts were dancing around inside of Blaze's head when they reached a hopefully safe altitude, and for those that made it there, they had to witness yet another scary sight.

"Ten seconds to impact." informed Thunderhead, forcing himself to watch the missiles descent. Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, impact!"

Crossing their fingers, the pilots watched as another seven massive fireballs erupted from the missile's warheads, screams of agony coming through over the radios as the attack sealed the Buzzard's fate and smashed the carrier with enough force it exploded. The Vulture was the main target, and like its predecessor, its aircraft on deck were destroyed from either the blasts or melted from the insane heat.

The deck itself bent inward at a drastic angle with the rest of the ship, and the weapons stored inside of it caused a chain reaction that resulted in a devastating explosion that ripped the entire carrier in two.

"The Vulture took a direct hit! S-She's sinking! She got torn in two!"

Osean sailors on the surviving escort ships and the two remaining carriers had to watch as their fellow countrymen went down with their ships in a brutal fashion, fire and smoke spewing from what used to be two of Osea's most powerful warships. In just a matter of minutes they had lost a significant part of Osea's naval combat power, and it came from an enemy that couldn't even see.

It was completely sickening, and it made Snow's blood boil to a breaking point.

"How...how could this happen to our fleet?!" snarled Snow after banging his hand against the canopy glass.

Grimm had been unable to look away and Nagase was actually crying, the shock of seeing so many men die so quickly almost breaking her. Chopper, like Blaze for the most part, was silent for a few moments before he too growled and they heard him punch something inside of his jet.

The only good thing to come out of the ordeal was the dead silence that came after the second missile, meaning there was no third one in bound, which gave the survivors time just to recover from the shock alone.

"This is the Kestrel...all surviving aircraft, respond."

"This...is Swordsman. I managed to stay alive with my wingmen...and the Wardog Squadron made it too."

"Two aircraft carriers lost...and their escort ships too...I can't believe this is all that's left of our force…" uttered Grimm, still in shock.

"We don't have enough fuel to get back to base either." added Chopper somewhat annoyed.

"Wardog, we can't get a tanker aircraft over to you. Proceed northeast to Heierlark Base, land and refuel." stated Thunderhead, being the voice to break the solemn attitude.

Blaze was still, and as they turned to make the trip to their new destination, Chopper got real close with his aircraft, still angry about what had happened. An in his anger, without thinking clearly, he targeted his own flight lead to vent his frustrations.

"Hey, Kid!" yelled Chopper.

"You really should start calling him "Captain" now." said Grimm in a corrective tone.

"Forget it." said Chopper. "If he's a Captain then I want him to start trash-talking like a Captain. Don't be so damn silent! Talk, dammit!"

"Alvin H. Davenport, are you seriously going to try and pick a fight with me?" questioned Blaze darkly.

"Yeah I am! I'm pissed that you won't say anything! Look at what just happened! We lost two of our fucking carriers and you haven't said a word about it!"

Blaze's knuckles turned white as he gripped the flight stick with enough force to break glass, before he whipped his head around to glare at Chopper's aircraft so that he could see who he was looking at.

"If you think this means nothing to me you are dead wrong. I've seen more shit then you could possibly even fathom! So back up and get your head outta your ass before talking to me like that!"

Grimm and Nagase were stunned at Blaze's tone, this being the first time they had even heard Blaze show his teeth and how loud he could bark when provoked. Even Chopper couldn't even respond back immediately, meaning Blaze's delivery was effective in delivering a blow that knocked him out of the funk he was in.

"S-Shit….I'm sorry…" He apologized, finally coming back to his senses. "I'm missing that voice real bad right now…"

Blaze cringed a little at the mention of "him". He didn't want to be reminded of Bartlett at the moment, since it would only add salt to the wound.

"Blaze has gotten us back alive from battle for the second time." said Grimm in a serious voice. "As far as I'm concerned, he's our Captain now."

"That's right." agreed Nagase. "And I'll never lose my lead plane again. No matter what."

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

The enemy attack squadron has withdrawn from the area. The aircraft carriers OFS Vulture and OFS Buzzard were sunk by a powerful burst missile attack. According to hydrophone data analysis, we have determined that the attack was carried out by the Scinfaxi, a Yuktobanian underwater attack carrier. The specs of this ships are unknown, but its existence confirms that the advanced shipbuilding efforts of the Yuktobanians have been going unabated since the previous war. The Scinfaxi is a serious threat to our objectives and must be eliminated.

Emergency transmission from Central Command. Our army has decided to deploy the military power of the Arkbird to neutralize the grave threat posed by this new enemy submarine.


	9. White Bird (Part 1)

A/N Leave a fav and review!  
Also HYPE FOR ACE COMBAT 7 TOMORROW. I will be playing it as soon as I pick it up from the store since I pre-ordered it!

* * *

 **Chapter 7 - White Bird (Part 1)**

 _Amidst the eternal waves of time_

 _From a ripple of change shall the storm rise_

 _Out of the Abyss peer the eyes of a demon_

 _Behold the Razgriz, its wings of black sheath_

* * *

 **\- Heierlark Air Force Base, North Osea -**

 **\- September 30th, 2010 2007 hrs -**

They set off for the northern region to refuel. This place was paradise compared to what's further ahead for them. Beyond their destination through lies the closed gate to Nord Belka, a horrible, empty, barren land populated by only a few cities. Fifteen years ago, the Belkans set off seven nuclear bombs, nicknamed the "Seven Pillars", to stave off the advancing allied forces, entombing themselves in the frozen valleys to the north.

That bit of history should have been enough of a lesson for them all.

The seven Belkan cities near the gate were vaporized and the local area is still highly radioactive.

Their landing point was in the state of North Osea, formerly a haven for Belkans, but now entrusted to Osean rule. If you refer to it by that name in front of a local, though, he'll put a scowl on his face and tell you that this is South Belka.

Heierlark meant a lot to them. Their flight training took place there on that airfield. On the base, they were surrounded by junior cadets eager to hear war stories. The newspaper article about them, written by the journalist Gennette at their Island, it made it faster here than they did. Somewhere along the line, they had become the most experienced pilots in the entire war.

Captain Bartlett's nuggets.

 **\- McNealy Air Force Base, Western Osea -**

 **\- 167°23'0"0N 2°06'21"E -**

 **\- October 1st, 2010 0751 hrs -**

They were directed to take those inexperienced pilots back with them to Sand Island when they returned.

"Man, we'd better thank Pops for this." said Chopper in one of his more optimistic voices.

"Why's that?" asked Grimm.

"Cuz he's the one who pounded basic fighter maneuvers into us. Now we can lord it over all these guys." replied back Chopper gleefully, Blaze silent during their conversation.

"You said it." added Nagase with a small smile.

Those pilots had only a tenuous grasp of flying, much less mid-air refueling, so they had to land at every base along the way.

The reason why Blaze wasn't speaking during the chatter between Chopper, Grimm and the rookies were that he knew what their fate was, and he didn't want to get into a relationship with any of them, get to know them, nothing. They were being sent to guard the western coastline...and he knew more then half of them would return not in their planes...but in a body bag.

When they landed at McNealy Air Force Base, two days later, they were quickly drawn into the briefing room, which was filled with the entire base staff as well. The commander of the base and his briefer met them there, and both had a serious expression on their faces, so they assumed that what they were about to be told was something highly important.

"My apologies for dragging you all into this, but we have no available fighter aircraft or ground forces capable of this mission at this moment, you are all we have." apologized the Base Commander before his briefer took over.

"An SSTO craft launch facility lies to the east of our current location, McNealy Air Force Base. The facility was a collaborative project between Osea and Yuktobania. It was built to be a bridge to outer space, with a Mass Driver 7.5 miles in length. Our radar has detected several planes from a Yuktobanian squadron approaching the facility from several directions. The facility is currently conducting pre-launch operations for an SSTO craft. The Base Commander will provide you with further orders." explained the Briefer before stepping back, allowing the Base Commander to speak again.

"All of you, including those that are refueling at this base, are now under my command. You shall engage the incoming enemy and prevent the destruction of the Basset Space Center. But, all untrained pilots are barred from taking off. They are still kids and will not participate in the defense operation. Dismissed."

 **\- Basset Space Center, Western Osea -**

 **\- 02°01'13"S 171°10'33"E -**

 **\- October 3rd 2010 1200 hrs -**

Blaze, Nagase, Chopper and Grimm approached Basset Space Center, the ground forces sent from McNealy already setting up defensive pillboxes at key checkpoints. Truthfully Blaze wished they had more forces that could defend the space center because having only a few pillboxes to defend against who knows what is unacceptable.

"Ten minutes to launch. Commencing countdown." reported one of the staff of the center, the SSTO getting prepped for launch.

Nagase remembered the Space Center well, while the others, mainly Chopper and Grimm, weren't that very knowledgeable of it. The Mass Driver was built by Osea and Yuktobania as part of their collaborative efforts to construct an international space station. The nation's anti-war President used the surplus funds that came from cutting the defense budget to build it.

At the time of its construction, both Yuktobania and Osea were pleased with how it turned out, but now, seeing that the very center they built together was under threat by one of its creators, it hurt.

"Is that the Arkbird?" asked Grimm while he looked up at the sky, the white underbelly of the gigantic ship barely visible.

The Arkbird is a giant "bird" built as the first step toward the realization of the space station project. Now, however, it's left its home in orbit and has come down just low enough to graze the atmosphere with its belly. The reason for this was to pick up the laser cannon module Bassett was going to launch up to it through the use of the mass driver. The original purpose was to that they were building a 'bridge of peace' that would span into outer space, but not anymore. The beautiful machinery meant for this peaceful mission was about to be used for their counterattack.

"Hey, listen." said Chopper, starting yet another discussion with Grimm.

"Yes?" replied Grimm.

"Isn't that thing supposed to work like a satellite? Why'd it climb down all this way?"

"Well it's a maneuverable orbiting spacecraft."

"I know that. I'm just saying, if the system uses atmospheric friction to change its orbit, then wouldn't that make it pretty hard to defend itself?" asked Chopper, gazing up at the giant ship as he talked.

"Hmm...I guess it'd be in trouble if someone started firing at it right now."

"Yeah, so shouldn't be higher up then?"

"Continue countdown, three minutes to launch." reported the control room of the space center, interrupting their conversation and reminding them of their operation.

When they entered the airspace over the facilities, everything was calm for a few minutes before multiple enemy hits appeared on the radar from all directions, the space center quickly reporting the appearance so that they could see them.

"Halt the countdown! Enemy incoming! This is the Base Air Defense Command. The enemy has a large formation of transport planes escorted by a squadron of fighters. They're conducting an air assault to capture this base."

"What? They're actually planning to invade Osea?" exclaimed Grimm.

Blaze whipped his head around and saw the transport planes fly from the ocean over the base, he recognized them as Yuke Il-76s, a plane of comparable status to an Osean C-130. He managed to catch one of them open up its rear bay door and his instincts kicked in when he saw BMPs being rolled out and sent out into the air with parachutes from them.

"They're dropping airborne tanks down onto the ground!" he yelled out before gunning it. "I repeat, airborne tanks are being dropped from enemy transport planes!"

"Right behind you Blaze!"

Nagase turned her jet around to followed behind him while a quick order from Blaze kept Chopper and Grimm on the right side of the base. They began attacking and shooting down the transport planes, trying to get to them before they could drop their payload of BMPs which, unfortunately, some could.

After bringing down one of the aircraft and being chased off by an escort fighter, Chopper glanced back over his shoulder at one of the parachuting BMPs and had an idea.

"Hey, if we shoot the parachutes before the tanks detach, we'll smash them into the ground. You with me Grimm?" suggested Chopper.

"I'm with you, let's go." Grimm agreed when right on cue, four tanks dropped out of two Il-76s at the northeast corner of the space center.

When more enemies flew into the airspace, Blaze gave the order to spread out to cover all four corners of the space center, shooting down any fighter, transport plane or Airborne tank that appeared in their view or was close enough to them on radar.

"They have overwhelming numbers, we can't destroy them all at once!" said Nagase, struggling to fight two fighters and take down the Yuke vehicles on the ground and in the air all at the same time.

"There's nothing we can do, just try to destroy as much of them as you can and thin out their numbers!" grunted Blaze as he narrowly avoided a missile from a Yuke MiG-29.

"Its all over if the tanks breakthrough. Blaze, do you think our forces are sufficient?"asked Nagase while he spun through a blanket of gunfire from the two planes pursuing him, unable to land a hit on him.

"I'd like to think so, but no, we don't."

"More work for us, that's fine. We should be used to that by now!" laughed Chopper as he watched a BMP he shot out of the sky smash into the ground and become a metal pancake.

"Alright, revision of battle plan. Grimm, Chopper, you focus on assisting the ground forces with those BMPs, shoot 'em down out of the sky, destroy them on the ground, whatever. Do anything you can to halt their ground attack. Since the transport planes are defenseless, Nagase and I will focus only on the escort fighters." ordered Blaize, the three of them quickly complying with the order.

Slowly they started to eliminate the enemy forces, gradually lowering the threat level over the area. An Il-76 dropped two BMPs from its cargo hold before Blaze shot it out of the sky, with Grimm finishing off the tanks by filling their parachutes full of bullet holes. Down they went until they smashed into the ground and exploded in two balls of fire.

"I'm going to try and convince the Flight Director to restart the countdown for launch." said one of the staff down below, Blaze surprised by the man's utter calm in the face of an enemy air and ground attack.

"What's the status on those airborne vehicles? Grimm?" asked Nagase.

"We've been handling it pretty well over here, there's only two of them on the ground at the moment."

Two explosions appeared on the ground followed by a laugh from Chopper.

"Scratch that, there are no tanks on the ground." smirked Grimm before going after another transport plane.

Luckily for them the waves of enemies grew less and less before Chopper destroyed the final BMP as it landed on the ground, the transport planes in the air either gone or shot down by the Wardog pilots. They didn't have any escort fighters to worry about either, so it seemed like everything was in the clear for them.

"All airborne AFVs and escort fighters destroyed, and enemy transport planes have retreated from the airspace. Wait a minute...additional hits on radar. Oh no, It seems that they've abandoned the ground invasion and decided to just destroy the space center." reported Air Defense Command. "Large number of cruise missiles detected on the outer edge of our radar coverage. Wipe out the remaining enemy forces and make an effort to minimize any damage to the Mass Driver by destroying those cruise missiles."

"Really? Cruise missiles? God dammit...I swear they'll never give us a break." Blaze growled before gunning it towards the ocean. "Same plan as before, Chopper and Grimm handles the East, Nagase and I handle the West. Go!"

He met the first cruise missiles and shot them down easily enough with his gun, the flames streaking past his Tomcat's wing as he made a wide turn to go after a second pair close by, Nagase flying straight east to the other side of the base to intercept three cruise missiles.

"This is Flight Director Adam Gittleman. Continue SSTO Launch. Recommence launch sequence. Attention all personnel, we only have one chance to launch, so let's all do our jobs and see this through to the very end. That is all!"

"We'll give you cover and make sure missile make contact with the SSTO or the Mass Driver." said Grimm before he downed two missiles on his side, Chopper taking out the third.

"Roger Air Force. Weather team, what's your status?" asked Flight Control.

"Weather team is A-OK. We're ready to go."

"All other teams, sound off."

"Flight control team, roger."

"Guidance team, roger."

"All teams roger, it's a go!"

Blaze gunned down the missiles present on their side with Nagase and spotted three Su-34 Fullbacks flying towards the Mass Driver.

"Nagase, handle the missiles! I'm gonna take out those Fullbacks before they can attack the Mass Driver!"

He whipped his plane back around and came up behind the jets, scaring them into splitting up and having to make him chase them down one by one. While it took some effort Blaze was able to shoot down each fighter bomber with a single missile each, and Nagase herself took down another grouping of cruise missiles before they got even close to the Mass Driver.

In their moment of respite before the next wave came, in a rather quiet voice, Nagase confided in him a question.

"Blaze...do you know why the Arkbird was built?"

"Yeah…I do." he replied back in a rather quiet voice too, his gaze rising to the Arkbird once again.

"Ironic, isn't it?"

Blaze was about to answer but he quickly shut his mouth, swallowing his words. As he looked up at the Arkbird, so high up in the air, and blinked, for a fraction of a second the bright blue skies were replaced with dark clouds and flaming meteors like from his dream. He shook his head to get the vivid imagery out of his brain and once he opened his eyes again, the blue sky was back and he let out a sigh of relief.

"Second wave incoming from all directions, heads up!" said Chopper, his voice knocking Blaze back to reality, his first act being to shoot down the three Fullbacks he was chasing then switch to target the cruise missiles approaching from the northwest.

"Four minutes to launch, hold them off until then!" reported the Control room, Chopper responding near frantic.

"Four minutes?! We won't last that long!"

"We're getting pushed back, little by little!" said Grimm, the fact he stated being true.

The endless waves of cruise missiles and Yuke fighters was slowly spreading them thin, already some cruise missiles having gotten past them and hitting the Mass Driver. Blaze cursed when he saw his missile reserves were low and had to resort to skillfully bringing down the cruise missiles with his guns, Nagase having to do the same when she ran out of missiles entirely.

"Flight control, your job is done. Evacuate the area immediately!"

"We can't have any mistakes. We're staying until the job is done!"

"Fox three!" said Grimm, two XLAA missiles departing his plane and shooting down two cruise missiles before they could get close to the Mass Driver.

"Damn, this is harder than we thought. That thing is as hard as diamond!" growled a Yuke pilot observing the cruise missiles as they flew towards the giant Mass Driver.

"Communications, I want you to ensure all lines of communications remain open."

"We've got it covered sir. Three modes of communication: Wired, wireless and runners!"

"Kid, is the launch facility safe? I can't tell from here." asked Chopper, too preoccupied with some Fulcrums to look back over his shoulder.

"For now it is, keep fighting!" said Blaze. "Focus on the mission at hand, worry about the Mass Driver afterwards!"

"Sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Three minutes! Three minutes to launch!" notified the Control Room. "Go ahead and seal off H block. No one is in there anyway, right?"

The sound of an explosion was heard over the radio, a downed Yuke fighter had crashed into that specific part of the building, sealing it off for them with rubble and debris.

"Take the wounded to Warehouse Four!" shouted one of the Control Room staff.

"Hurry it up in there!" yelled Blaze, shooting down two missiles before spinning to the right, narrowly avoiding a missile launched from one of the several Yuke fighters tailing him.

"Final pre-flight check. All stations, go over everything one last time. Guidance, navigation, flight, control, telemetry, communications, flight dynamics. Do we have a go or a no go?"

"All systems go from all team leaders, proceeding with launch."

"Wave number Three, Wave number Four, Wave number Five...there's too many!" yelled Grimm in a worried tone.

"Just one more minute!" yelled the Control Room.

Blaze growled as he soared past a cruise missile and pulled back, bringing the nose of his aircraft up as he flipped his plane back around to used one of his final missiles to bring down a Yuke fighter tailing him, then gunned it to down a cruise missile.

Four cruise missiles exploded on the other side thanks to Grimm and Chopper's efforts, but they still kept coming. Nagase was beginning to wonder what could be firing this many missiles at them and at such a frequent pace, but she pushed it to the side to shoot down a cruise missile she let fly by her.

"Special weapons are out!" yelled Chopper after shooting down a Yuke fighter. "Gonna have to use the gun!"

"Countdown, twenty, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen…"

"We're gonna launch this thing even if it kills us!"

Blaze sped after the remaining missiles, three of them in total. He destroyed one with his gun and the other with his final missile. The afterburners were red hot as he chased after the last missile, gaining on it and getting closer and closer to being within gun range.

"Five, four, three, two, one, zero! Lift off!"

"SSTO increasing speed!"

"SSTO passing checkpoint One. Passing checkpoint Two!" relayed the Control Room, the small craft speeding down the track towards the giant ramp at the end of the Mass Driver.

"SSTO passing checkpoint Three!"

Blaze gasped and pulled off from the chase at the last second, the cruise missile ramming into the Mass Driver directly before the SSTO craft and exploding.

"Mass Driver hit by cruise missile!"

Nagase, Grimm, Chopper and Blaze held their breaths, looking at the large smoke cloud formed from the explosion, waiting for the outcome of the small craft. The seconds ticked by, taking longer and longer, like time had slowed down at that exact moment, just to toy with them. Then the SSTO craft zoomed out from the smoke cloud, completely unscathed, and shot up the ramp and off into the sky towards space, more specifically, the Arkbird.

Blaze and his wingmen all let out a collective sigh of relief as they watched the small craft soar higher and higher into the blue beyond, leaving its earthly home behind to deliver its payload.

"SSTO status report." requested the Flight Director.

"Everything's clear. All systems are go."

"Yeah, I'm seeing it now. It's a beautiful sight. This is great!"

"Observation room reporting. The SSTO is climbing smoothly. Congratulations."

With their mission done and post-launch evaluations of the Mass Driver's integrity starting by the base personnel, Blaze, Nagase, Grimm and Chopper turned back towards McNealy to pick up the nuggets and make the return trip to Sand Island. As they did, they heard the sound of cheering echoing out from the radio, the space center staff celebrating in the Control Room at their successful launch even under pressure by the enemy.

"Whew...Let's go home. I've had enough stress for today." groaned Chopper. "I'm gonna have to check my blood pressure after this.

"I'm with you there." said Grimm, Blaze remaining silent again, and Nagase gazing back up into the sky.

"Hey, Nagase." Blaze contacting her over a different channel, between just them. "You were saying earlier?"

"Oh, well...I was just saying it was ironic...about the Arkbird's purpose…"  
They happened to look up at the sky together to stare at the small outline of the Arkbird, both of them feeling a slight sense of ease.

"Yeah...a bird of peace being made to wage war…"

The four pilots watched the glorious white bird rise up once again, the newly delivered laser cannon in its wings. For them all, It was a moving sight. All of them though all shared the same thought, especially Nagase. She wished, in her heart, that the glorious white bird didn't have to be used in war.

None of them found out why the enemy targeted the base until much later. Of course, by that time...it was already too late.

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

We prevented the Yuktobanian army from capturing the launch facility, and on the other hand, the SSTO launch was successful. The SSTO docked with the Arkbird, which had descended into the upper atmosphere and successfully transferred the laser weapon module over to the craft. All aircraft with the 108th Tactical Fighter Squadron and the Sand Island detachment, return to base as soon as re-arming and refueling operations are complete.


	10. Front Line

A/N Okay okay okay okay OKAY. GUYS. ACE COMBAT 7 IS INCREDIBLE. I've already beaten the campaign twice now, and I can honestly say that it was so worth the wait for it.  
WITH THAT IN MIND...I'm already thinking of ideas on how to incorporate Ace Combat 7 into the story, as either itself being the final part of this mega story, or that I mix it with what I already had planned before Ace Combat 7 was announced. It would be difficult to incorporate its events in between my AC6 and ACX stories because of what happens, so I'll say this now. What will most likely happen is that the Lighthouse War, if I choose to add all of it or portions of it, still working that out, WILL TAKE PLACE AFTER THE EVENTS OF ACE COMBAT X.

I will share more info when it becomes available as I work through the process. Until then, peace Aces!

Leave a like and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 8 - Front Line**

 _Amidst the eternal waves of time_

 _From a ripple of change shall the storm rise_

 _Out of the Abyss peer the eyes of a demon_

 _Behold the Razgriz, its wings of black sheath_

* * *

 **\- Briefing Room -**

 **\- October 4th, 2010 1004 hrs -**

Colonel Perrault snorted a little in annoyance as he glanced at the pilots assembled in the room, then rested his eyes on Blaze, the two of them glaring at each other in a stare down.

Blaze won.

"Eagh, you people are like the plague, you know that? The moment you return to Sand Island, this happens." he grunted before stepped back to continue his glare at Blaze.

"A large combined force of Yuktobanian vessels and aircraft has been detected advancing in the ocean directly toward Sand Island from the west. Our intelligence has confirmed the presence of amphibious assault ships within the oncoming fleet. We believe the enemy's goal is to conduct a landing operation on Sand Island and capture this base. Close with the enemy, disrupt landing operations and suppress their naval gunfire at our forces ashore." explained the Briefer, Blaze noticing some of the rookie pilots turn green.

"Even if this turns into a ground war, I am prepared to fight for this island to the bitter end. As my advance guard, I want you to forget everything else and concentrate on dealing a lethal blow to the incoming enemy invasion fleet. We'll be deploying everything we've got. launch every available aircraft capable of anti-ship combat, regardless of combat experience. Good luck people."

 **\- Sand Island, Ceres Ocean -**

 **\- 08°10'19"N 144°32'32"E -**

 **\- October 4, 2010 1007 hrs -**

Blaze looked back at the three diagonal lines of F-5Es flying behind them and sighed, slowly shaking his head out of disdain at Perrault's decision. To bolster their forces, he had ordered the Nuggets they had brought back with them from Heierlark to sortie for the operation. And to Blaze, sending pilots who had no experience flying in an actual battle was a foolish idea.

Despite Perrault being his commanding officer, and despite it being the only option to have an acceptable fighting force, sending in rookies had lost some of Blaze's respect for the base commander.

"This is Thunderhead, all units, listen carefully."

Chopper snickered mischievously, not being able to hold himself back upon hearing the voice of their AWACS after so long.

"Ahh, I missed that sweet voice. Say, you get that from your mama's side of the family?" he asked before he started laughing out loud, Thunderhead's silence radiating his annoyance at Choppers quip.

"Cut the chatter. First enemy wave, bearing 280 degrees. You are cleared to engage on sight." said Thunderhead, Blaze checking that all his weapons systems and plane controls were working.

For the operation he had the F-14D's XLAAs replaced by air to ground XAGM missiles, able to lock onto four ground targets simultaneously. Although, there wasn't going to be any ground targets, only naval targets, they worked all the same and could still cause serious damage.

"It's too risky to bring the nuggets out here…" muttered Nagase, none too pleased with Perrault's decision either.

They were talking on their own private radio channel, since they didn't want the nuggets to hear their negative words and worries. Anything to ensure they were confident in themselves and the flight leads that would lead them into battle was needed. And Blaze had wished that they were given better fighter jets, since their Tiger IIs could only carry bombs.

"I think so too, but it can't be helped Nagase. Just focus on the mission and we can go home." said Blaze as they approached the first target.

The fleet itself was organized in an octagonal pattern, with the landing ships and their hovercraft offspring at the front, the frigates on the sides and the command ship and destroyers in the rear. In of itself, Blaze could see why they had made it that way, so as to protect their more important vessels, but it was a bad decision as well. Their landing ships would be totally unguarded at the front and easy prey for them, even the nuggets could destroy them with little to no trouble.

"Seriously, they've got their hands full just keeping their planes in the air." exclaimed Chopper, sharing the same idea as well.

"Do you ever get scared, Captain?" asked one of the rookies from his F-5E.

Blaze smiled a little as he put on his oxygen mask. "Sometimes, yes...I do. We're all human so we just have to live with it."

"I see...so you're just like us then?"

"In some ways, yeah. You nuggets have a long way to go, but just stick with what we told you, and I'm sure you'll do fine."

They were mostly empty words. He had already accepted within his heart that some of the green pilots wouldn't be making it back to Sand Island with them. He was sure that Nagase, Chopper and Grimm had swallowed that fact as well, but they were keeping it under wraps so they weren't distracted.

Sand Island was already under siege by another, smaller vanguard force and they were taking on the main fleet that was sending reinforcements to back them up. If they couldn't hold the line here, then their tiny little island base would be the first to fall to Yuktobania.

Blaze targeted the the first hovercraft and did a barrel roll to dive down at it, holding down the gun trigger and letting his gun do the talking as he peppered the ship with a hail of gunfire and pulled off to allow Grimm to snag the kill with a missile.

"This is Sand Island Base Defense! Enemy amphibious force intercepted at the coastline!"

"Here we go…" said Chopper as Blaze gave the order to disperse and use special weapons freely.

"Enemy ships are firing towards Sand Island. Stop them." ordered Thunderhead. "Enemy assault ships are also launching attack helicopters. Shoot them down before they reach Sand Island to assist their vanguard force."

"Chopper, get on my six and after every helicopter I shoot down, lay a missile directly into the center of each Landing Ship. If that doesn't kill it, I will circle around for the killing blow while you move on to the next."

"Roger Kid, moving behind you." responded Chopper as they sped towards the first line of Landing Ships, AA fire peppering the sky around them.

Blaze shot down the first helicopter and the landing ship afterwards was engulfed by a plume of fire and water, the missile Chopper sent at it causing the tanks it had within its belly to erupt and cause the whole ship to detonate.

Grimm and Nagase followed the same strategy on the other half of the fleet's formation, Nagase eliminating the helicopter while Grimm used two missiles that sunk the landing ship. One ripped open a huge hole in its hole and the other sealed its fate, the craft listing heavily to the right until it couldn't recover and turned belly up.

"Beta Flight, go with Nagase to the back of the fleet and take out the command ship and the destroyer escorts." ordered Blaze after the second landing ship was sunk by Chopper.

"Roger." replied one of the rookies before he and three other F-5Es left with Nagase.

"Take care of yourself Blaze."

Nagase turned away with Grimm and went right down the middle toward the main fleet in the back, their flight of rookies right behind them. The other flight, Alpha, split up into two man pairs, one of them going with Chopper to fill in the void left by Nagase and Grimm while Blaze kept the other two himself.

"Remember what I told Chopper?"

"You'll take out the helicopter, and we follow up on the landing ship? Was that right captain?"

Blaze smiled. "Spot on, Nugget. Let's go, try to keep up. And let's try to beat out Motormouth over there."

"Hey!"

Blaze and his nuggets laughed as they continued their attack, while Nagase and Grimm arrived at the main fleet to a hailstorm of defensive fire. Nagase quickly scanned the enemy fleet make up and from her knowledge, she identified four frigates, two of the _Krivak_ -class and two of the _Neustrashimy_ -class. Then three destroyers, two _Sovremenny_ -class and one _Udaloy_ -class, and finally what she assumed to be the Fleet ship, a _Kirov_ -class battlecruiser in the direct center.

"Stay close to us Nuggets, and follow our lead." she said before diving low with Grimm.

"Roger, Captain!"

The rookies stuck to their trails as they first went after the frigates, the Yuke vessels opening fire on them with their defensive weapons, but it wasn't enough to keep Nagase and Grimm from sinking one of the frigates.

"Gah, some damage in the left wing!" grunted Grimm after a few rounds hit his Tomcat. "It's alright, damage is minimal! I'm still good to go!"

"The coastline is under heavy enemy attack! They've got tanks, foot soldiers, everything!" called out one of the base defenders frantically.

"I know, I know! All units, this is Colonel Perrault at Base Command. Do everything in your power to stop the main fleet from sending reinforcements. If you can't protect this island, what'll we tell our great heroes in the sky?"

"Great heroes? What's up with him? It's as if he's a completely different person." wondered Grimm, receiving a snort from Chopper.

"Don't expect that stuff when we get back. I bet he's got a different script for us."

"Enemy ships launching hovercraft." reported Thunderhead, Blaze spotting them to his right.

"Nuggets, think you can take care of them?"

"Yes sir, Captain!"

His two rookies split off to attack the hovercrafts as he watched and with a smile the pilots were able to work together to bring down the hovercrafts and their landing craft mothership, using the same technique he was teaching them as they fought.

Needless to say, he was feeling rather proud right now, like a father would for his kids.

"Airborne attack squadron, stay on course with the mission. We will stand firm and fight to the end!" announced Perrault, several gunshots and explosions heard over the radio in the background.

"What a tearjerker." said Grimm with a chuckle.

"Nagase, what's the status on those destroyers and the command ship?"

Blaze's rookies formed up with him again after he asked the question and Chopper's flight finished off a pair of landing ships and hovercraft on the other side.

"We've engaged and sunk the frigates, but we're having difficulty with the destroyers, Blaze."

"Their command ship is keeping us at bay too with missile attacks, and we don't want to risk the safety of the Nuggets, Captain. Should we hold off our attack until you arrive?"

"Yeah, hold on. Chopper, let's hurry it up so we can form up and attack the fleet together." said Blaze.

With all things considering, everything was going smoothly, already half of the fleet was destroyed and would be totally annihilated in a matter of minutes. All of the nuggets were accounted for and it seemed that nothing bad would happen.

Blaze and Chopper were eventually able to meet up with Nagase and Grimm, and with their squadron now at full strength they took on the might of the Yuke main fleet, it's command ship proving to be the most difficult to deal with because of its missile defense systems. But, with the nuggets acting as back up, the fleet quickly fell to their assault and the seas were clear.

"All enemy vessels have been sunk! Wardog, return to Sand Island and-"

Thunderhead stopped when his air crew detected a large object launching out of the water in the center of the enemy fleet's former formation, and Nagase, being the first to spot it visually, was quick to make it known.

"Missile fired from enemy sub!"

"What?!"

"It's the Scinfaxi…" murmured Blaze after spotting it as well, recognizing the missile. " _But…_ "

"Get out of there Grimm! You nuggets too!" ordered Nagase before she turned her plane up and began to climb.

"Climb! Climb! C'mon!" urged Chopper while he followed her with Grimm hot on his tail

"Submarine missile launch confirmed! Believed to be a burst missile, with multiple warheads that separate mid-air." said Thunderhead as he got one of his men to track the missile's flight path. "Get above five thousand feet and stand by!"

"You nuggets get your asses above five thousand feet, now." ordered Blaze sharply, some gulps being heard from some of the rookies.

They were smart to follow orders while Blaze remained at his current altitude, searching the water for any indication of the Scinfaxi's general location since the water disturbance from the missile launch had already vanished. The enemy submarine could be anywhere, and he was searching as much as he can.

"Captain, what about you?! Hurry!" shouted Grimm, Blaze chuckling a bit. "You have to climb now!"

"Don't worry Grimm, I'll be fine." shrugged Blaze, the three of them lost for words at his eerily calm demeanor.

"Wait, we're getting a command override from somewhere." said Thunderhead, confused to the new data he was receiving. "Data link to A-Sat targeting system...what is this?"

Nagase looked from the sky back to Blaze and back to the sky again. What Thunderhead had read aloud had sparked something in her and soon a smile spread over her face when she realized what it meant. At the same time two more, albeit smaller, Yuktobanian fleets appeared on radar, probably as back-up for the main fleet in case it got into trouble,

"Now it's counting down by itself. Nine, eight, seven…"

Chopper yelled at Blaze, "Kid, c'mon man! Hurry!"

"Four, three, two, one." finished Thunderhead, the sky suddenly lighting up as a solid blue beam of energy shot down from the sky and disintegrated the missile in mid-air. Blaze smirked as the beam faded away once the threat was removed, while Chopper and Grimm were totally flabbergasted.

"The sky just lit up!"

"Missile destroyed by a laser fired from orbit!" Thunderhead smiled and clapped his hands together. "It's the Arkbird, we've got the Arkbird! All units, continue the operation!"

"Kid!" Chopper and the others rejoined Blaze as he flew towards one of the new fleets. "How did you know the Arkbird was going to shoot down that missile?"  
"Just gotta have some faith in our white bird."

He chuckled as the rookies formed up with them as well and together they attacked the second backup fleet, consisting of a measly three frigates and a single destroyer. Blaze ordered the rookies to attack the frigates with the knowledge they learned from watching them, and he watched with a smile as they performed their duties quite well while he sunk the destroyer with Grimm's help.

"This is the anti-submarine plane Blue Hound. Submarine detected by sonobuoy...sound pattern analysis matches that of the Scinfaxi."

"Captain, do you think the Arkbird can really avoid hitting us?" asked Grimm, questioning the firepower they had over their heads.

"Yeah, just don't go towards the light." joked Blaze, Chopper making a little buzzing noise to add to the joke.

They laughed at the hilarity of the joke but Grimm only blinked a few times. "I don't get it."

Blaze stopped laughing and Chopper choked a little when he stopped too, Grimm still confused while Nagase herself had a little chuckle at their failed joke. When the last enemy ship was sunk, they were on their way to attack the second fleet when four enemy fighters came up on radar.

Chopper and Grimm split off to take care of them while Blaze and Nagase continued on with the rookies to the second fleet, during that time their AWACS and Blue Hound were coordinating with one another to ensure that the Arkbird would be ready for when the Scinfaxi decided to fire again.

And ready it was.

"Thunderhead, this is Blue Hound. Detecting sounds from Scinfaxi indicating imminent missile launch."

"Roger Blue Hound. We'll send the data over as soon as we detect the missile." responded Thunderhead, who walked to one of the officers on board his plane, standing by the monitor.

Just when the last of the enemy fighters that entered the airspace was shot down by Chopper, a plume of white foam shot up from the ocean and a missile soared upward from the Scinfaxi somewhere below.

"Missile away from enemy sub." reported Blue Hound, Thunderhead quick to act. He had his men acquire the missile in their sights and begin to transmit to Blue Hound.

"Locked on! Begin data link!"

Blaze and his flight ignored the burst missile and continued to attack the remaining enemy forces, with Chopper and Grimm meeting up with them just in time to take down the second back-up fleet.

"Arkbird firing laser." said Thunderhead, the flash returning again, followed by the gigantic beam. The missile was vaporized once again with no traces left at all.

"Another missile destroyed!"

Seeing the missiles that had been so devastating to their naval ships in the Eaglin Straits be destroyed by a weapon the Yukes could only dream about trying to reach was enough to bolster the morale of the rookies.

"I'm gonna make it out! I'm gonna get out of this alive, I know it!" Nagase smiled at their enthusiasm, and it actually rubbed off on her enough that she began to believe that all of them were going to make it back to Sand Island.

"Was this what they launched that day?!" stuttered a Yuke their radios managed to pick up before one that was calmer, if not a little more cockier was heard.

"We haven't lost yet." he said, Blaze's smirk dropping for a moment and a eerie feeling passing over his body.

That feeling he had honed from many years prior, the sixth sense that would go off when something incredibly bad was about to happen. All of a sudden, another missile shot out of the water, followed by a second, then a third, then a fourth.

The Scinfaxi had decided to quit playing with its food and launched a vast amount of burst missiles. Two had already been destroyed by the Arkbird, but they guessed that the satellite could only utilize its laser for one at a time, so they gambled and took a chance that the odds of their enemies eliminating all the missiles was very little.

"Oh no! They're launching more missiles! Number three, number four, number five...Jesus Christ..." stuttered Blue Hound, Blaze, Grimm, Chopper and Nagase turning white.

"What the hell is wrong with them?!" shouted Chopper before he started to round up the rookies and started to fly up.

"Climb! Let's move it!" urged Grimm, taking the lead of the rookies as they climbed, Blaze hot on their trail.

Their F-14Ds though were way faster than the rookie's F-5Es and were far ahead of them, already halfway to above five thousand feet at around seven thousand.

"Missile vaporized in midair!" reported Thunderhead after the blue laser appeared again, but it seemed the gamble the Yukes had made paid off. The laser dissipated and there was little chance of it returning as the rest of the missiles kept going on their flight paths.

"They're coming! They're still coming!" uttered Grimm fearfully. "The nuggets!

"Get moving! Come on, you're almost there!" yelled Nagase, the rookies pushing their planes as fast as they could go.

Blaze had already reached a safe altitude and he looked down, tapping his foot progressively harder and harder against the floor of the cockpit in nervous anticipation for the rookies to make it. Flashes of the Eaglin Straits and the Vulture and Buzzard appeared in his mind, the screams of horror as the burst missiles did their dirty work.

"Come on!"

"Ten seconds to impact. Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one impact...now!"

It was almost as if they were reaching out to the nuggets, fingertips nearly touching, hoping to grab onto them and pull them up to safety. But as the individual warheads from the burst missiles detonated, and the super-heated gas ignited and expanded outward with their brilliant oranges and reds and yellows, their hearts shot up into their throats.

One by one the nuggets were gobbled up by the flames until the last one disappeared from view, several young, terrified screams of anguish piercing their eardrums through the radio before they were cut off suddenly.

"The eject handles stuck! E-Everything's fused together!"

"Aaaayyaaagh! It burns!"

Blaze couldn't contain his emotions behind and he had to look away, ripping up his visor to cover his eyes with a hand as tears emerged. Images of an exploding fighter jet and a snowy sky with grey clouds flashed in his mind like lightning, and he yelled out his grief for all to hear.

"Noo! No, no!" cried Nagase, crying too. She wished she could dive in to save the young pilots who had so much of their lives left to live, but she couldn't.

The giant flaming spheres eventually dissipated and all they could see were the flaming, melted and horribly disfigured lumps of metal that used to be fighter jets hurtling towards the sea, some with their pilots still alive, screaming to try and escape their inevitable end.

"We can't deal with the enemy fleet like this…" said Thunderhead, shaken by the event that had taken place. "...We have no choice. Just weave through the missiles and continue to attack the ships."

"Oh yeah, just weave through the missiles." uttered Chopper, angry. "What are you, fucking nuts?!"

At a loss of what to do, and with their submerged enemy still out of sight and ready to attack at any time, Blue Hound's operator kept a cool head and answered a call when one came in.

"Blue Hound, this is Arkbird. Requesting sonobuoy data link."

"Stand by, we're dropping a new sonobuoy." said Blue Hound while Blaze and company had to swallow their emotions when another flight of Yuke fighters, Su-33s, entered the airspace.

"Blue hound, this is Arkbird. Is that sonobuoy data available yet?"

"Roger, we're sending it now. What are you going to do?" Blue Hound didn't quite understand what the Arkbird's crew was going to do.

"Countdown to firing. Five, four, three, two, one."

Another flash of light and the Arkbird's laser slammed into the ocean and after a few seconds, a plume of water exploded outward followed by a severe shock wave. The data had provided the satellite enough information to pinpoint the Yuke submarine's location and with a precise laser strike, they were able to damage the submarine.

"The Arkbird shot a laser in the ocean! Explosion in the water, it damaged the submerged Scinfaxi!" exclaimed Blue Hound, Blaze looking over his shoulder to see the water start to churn. "Picking up sounds of main ballast below. The Scinfaxi's surfacing!"

Another plume of water emerged and the nose of the submarine breached first, followed by the rest of its gargantuan body. Blaze was astounded to see such a large vessel was even considered a submarine, but then again, considering some of his past experiences, anything was possible.

Once the giant sub settled on the water, Blaze estimated it to be as long as four football fields. He was able to get a good look at it too and saw a large scorch mark on the left side of its hull, which he assumed was from the Arkbird. Considering how quickly the vessel surfaced, he guessed that the laser had damaged its ballast tanks and forced it to rise.

"It's huge…" uttered Nagase in awe of the submarine, a symbol of Yuktobania's ship building might.

"Looks like it's lost diving ability. It's floating like a cork. All units, commence attack and sink that sub!" said Thunderhead, Blaze switching back to the XAGMs he had left.

"Target its surface weapons first then aim for missile silos on the ship. Got me?"

"Roger Captain, switching to special weapons." responded Grimm as they approached the giant sub.

"Scinfaxi launching aircraft!" said Blue Hound, F-35Cs launching off the back of the Scinfaxi's internal runway and up to meet Wardog. Blaze was taken aback by the ability of the submarine to launch aircraft, and he had to quickly change his battle plan to meet the new development.

"Change of plans, Chopper and Grimm, handle the fighters. Nagase, let's screw up that sub hm?"

"Roger Captain, lemme at 'em!" smirked Chopper when the AA fire started to blanket the skies, Blaze weaving through the rounds and SAM missiles. He was impressed with the defense measures taken into the design of the Scinfaxi, and had to give credit where credit was due.

"They put a lot of firepower into this..." Nagase stayed right by her captain's wing, weaving through the fire with him.

"Fox three." said Blaze, completely calm under the situation, launching four XAGMs that arched into the air then went straight down onto four gun installations on the Scinfaxi, multiple explosions ripping apart its topside.

In the air above Chopper and Grimm took down the F-35Cs the carrier launched and were about to join in on the attack on the Scinfaxi but more enemy fighters launched from it, Chopper whining slightly at having to dogfight more.

"Fox two, fox two!" Nagase's missile attack dealing more damage to the Scinfaxi.

It was like poking a beehive though, and making it even angrier then before. A column of smoke emerged from a missile silo when a burst missile launched from the deck of the Scinfaxi and got out of range of attack from Wardog in a quick manner.

"Scinfaxi firing burst missile! It's...It's heading towards Sand Island!" said Thunderhead in terror. "We've got to get word to Sand Island!"

"I've got it Thunderhead, you three stay and take out that sub!" ordered Blaze as he shot off into the sky towards the missile, Chopper firing another volley of XAGMs into the missile silos and effectively destroying them.

"Blaze! Don't risk it!"

Thunderhead's plea fell on deaf ears as Blaze pushed his aircraft to the absolute

"C'mon, C'mon! Make it!" he grunted, his grip on the flight stick making his knuckles go white.

As he went higher and higher into the atmosphere, he gazed at the height meter on his HUD and grunted, some black spots starting to flash in front of his eyes. He didn't know how high he was going up, but considering how the sky got darker and darker, he was going to go well above what a normal air engagement would take place at.

"Come on, come on!" he was waiting for the missile lock on, waiting for that loud shrill.

Meanwhile Nagase had taken over for Blaze in the fight against the Scinfaxi, and with her leading the charge she had effectively disabled all of the submarine's defensive armaments with Chopper and Grimm's help. With the Scinfaxi sitting there barely alive, Blue Hound took the opportunity to send data up to the Arkbird for it to fire once again.

"Arkbird firing laser." said Thunderbird, the blue laser striking down right through the entire hull of the Scinfaxi.

"Direct hit!" reported Blue Hound. "It ripped a massive hole! The sub appears to have lost the ability to launch additional aircraft!"

"Blast it out of the water!"

"Roger that!" smirked Chopper as he spiraled up into the air and swung right back down, dive bomb style.

He zoomed down at the Scinfaxi and when the XAGM he had prepped locked onto the gigantic hole in the sub he pressed the trigger and entered a sharp climb, laughing the whole way up. The missile struck true and the whole submarine rocked from the explosion that only quickened its fate.

Half of the Scinfaxi had already sunk before the weaponry it still had inside was touched by the flames and like one big pile of TNT the whole vessel went up in a huge fiery mushroom cloud, the shockwave displacing the water around it and making a loud boom. With this, the pride of the Yuktobanian navy was doomed to a watery grave.

"Yeah! We did it!" said Grimm, joining up with Chopper and Nagase.

"Enemy forces on the coastline of Sand Island have been repelled and the enemy fleet is destroyed, good work Wardog." congratulated Thunderhead, something rare for him.

"Hey Kid, you take care of that missile?" asked Chopper, waiting for Blaze to respond, but all he heard was static.

Suddenly the burst missile that was launched exploded in the sky, Chopper, Nagase and Grimm looking up above them in awe of the sparkling lights, but their awe quickly turned to worry when there wasn't any word back from their flight lead.

"Blaze? Blaze!?" shouted Nagase in worry until she barely saw his plane appear out of the giant fireball trailing tons of smoke and start hurtling towards the earth.

"There! I see his plane!"

They pushed the throttle all the way forward, kicking in the afterburners towards his plane, coming closer and seeing that it must've been caught inside one of the burst missile's fireballs, parts of it melted off and half its wing gone with smoke trailing heavily from the burning and dissolved engines

The worst thing of all was that the canopy wasn't popped open, which mean Blaze was still trapped inside, and he wasn't responding.

"Blaze get out of there! You have to eject!" pleaded Nagase as loud as she could, hoping that he could hear her, but to him, her screams were miles away. "Blaze!"

They ended up flying all the way back to Sand Island, Blaze's jet losing its last wing and beginning to tumble wildly down towards the island. The beaches of the base looked like a battlefield after the failed invasion by the Yukes, but the pilots hardly noticed it. All they did was watch, horrified, as Blaze's plane smashed into the tarmac, skid a few yards then come to a stop, a trail of fire and molten parts left in its wake.

Against all of the odds and then some, however, Blaze had survived the burst missile inferno and the crash, groaning as he came to after blacking out. As soon as he tried to move though, his body felt like it was being stabbed with a thousand fiery needles and he gasped for breath. Blaze looked down and almost lost his lunch at the jagged piece of metal sticking out of his gut, his blood dripping off its tip. He coughed up more of his own blood as he opened and closed his right hand several time, feeling the sense in his fingertips slipping away.

"That's..my blood...hehe..." he laughed a little, the loss of blood making him lightheaded. "A...lot of...my blood…"

The emergency ground crew quickly came over to his plane, Grimm, Nagase and Chopper, who had landed moments ago, hot on their heels. They put out the fires around the plane with the firetrucks and once it was safe to approach, several men carrying hydraulic rescue tools went to work, bending the molten and twisted metal until they were able to pop open the canopy with a loud hiss.

Nagase cupped her hand over her mouth as she saw Blaze getting pulled out of the plane, grunting in pain, the piece of metal in his gut still lodged in there and his flight suit blackened and charred from the heat alone. He winced and yelled loudly from the second and partial third degree burns he had suffered from the intense heat.

"Jesus H. Christ…" uttered Chopper in awe. Grimm was utterly speechless and Nagase had to eventually look away from Blaze, unable to see him in such a state.

They put Blaze on a collapsible stretcher and rolled him away from the wreck, Pops jogging out to them from one of the hangers and joining the three of them at looking at the ruined F-14D.

"He'll be alright, don't worry. I have a feeling he's been in something like this before." he said, comforting the three of them with his words.

"Now go on, you all deserve a rest." Pops shooed them away from the ruined fighter jet, just to get them to think about something else and not about their flight lead for the time being.

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

The Arkbird was successfully employed over the forward edge of the battle area. The enemy amphibious force attacking Sand Island was repelled and their invasion plan halted. The underwater carrier Scinfaxi, a lethal enemy threat, was engaged and destroyed by the superior firepower of the Arkbird. Having lost the support of the Scinfaxi, the remaining Yuktobanian forces retreated. Furthermore, we are requesting reinforcements from Central Command to replace our squadron members lost in combat, along with requesting a new plane for Blaze, who crashed from damage sustained after destroying a burst missile en route to Sand Island. Blaze is currently undergoing treatment for the severe injuries he sustained from the battle, but he is expected to pull through.


	11. For Whom the Bell Tolls

A/N Leave a fav and review!

(Also I changed my profile picture into a nice little teaser for you guys as to what the future holds for this story heheheh)

* * *

 **Chapter 9 - For Whom the Bell Tolls**

 _Amidst the eternal waves of time_

 _From a ripple of change shall the storm rise_

 _Out of the Abyss peer the eyes of a demon_

 _Behold the Razgriz, it's wings of black sheath_

* * *

 **\- Sand Island Medical Ward -**

 **\- October 16th, 2010 0900 hrs -**

Chopper walked down one of the white hallways of the medical ward, passing by some doctors and nurses as he went. He turned the corner at the end and came to room sixteen, his destination. He knocked and waited for an answer, a tired "Come in" being the response he got. He opened the door and walked in, seeing Blaze hunched over the windowsill with his hands behind his back, gazing outside with a solemn look on his face.

"Hey, you can walk again. When did the doctor say you could fly again?" asked Chopper as he took up a seat and sat down, Blaze remaining standing.

"October 20th. He said I was very lucky to survive that crash, I was mangled up pretty bad."

Blaze smirked as he shuffled over to the bed and winced as he sat down, the burns still tingling and making it highly uncomfortable to do anything. Pain still came from where he had been skewered by a stray piece of metal from his jet after crashing, but that could be taken care of with pain medication.

The feeling of your skin burning and remaining with you with that nagging, prickly sensation was annoying him to high heavens. He wished it would go away, and he hoped that if it ever did, it would happen as soon as possible.

"Yeah Kid, you scared the shit outta me, Nagase and Grimm." replied Chopper with a little chuckle. "Seeing you as they pulled you out of the cockpit...well, let's just say I had a come to Jesus moment."

"Heh, three broken ribs and that nasty piece of metal in me left this." said Blaze as he lifted up his shirt, revealing a large healing scar across his stomach, still somewhat red. "And of course all of those burns, you can see the red spots yourself."

"Damn...I feel so sorry for you." said Chopper, Blaze laughing a little.

"Ah, it's fine. Come on, Let's go meet up with the others so they can see how I'm doing." he said before getting up and walking slowly out the door, Chopper following behind him.

They were stopped by Blaze's doctor, worrying for him and making sure he was alright, but Blaze's stubbornness convinced him and they were allowed to leave the medical ward. Chopper made sure to stay by his side the entire time in case he needed help walking, and despite his stubbornness Blaze appreciated his attentiveness.

Once they were finally outside, Blaze took a deep breath and smelled the air, smiling a little at finally being out of that white room. The blue sky was already beckoning him to get back in the air and return to his true home, but his body said otherwise as he grunted again.

"You okay Kid?"

"Yeah, I'm fine...it'll take a little more time to get back to normal." replied Blaze, Chopper giving him a gentle pat on the back. They continued walking together and went towards the hangars, eventually seeing Pops talking with some of the base mechanics.

The older fellow looked over his shoulder and he smiled as saw them approaching, stopping his chat with his colleagues to hollar into the open hanger next to them. A few seconds later Nagase and Grimm came jogging out and looked left and right before seeing Chopper with Blaze, the two meeting them before they got close and showered him with attention.

Well, Grimm showered him with attention, being the youngest member of the squadron. Nagase let him keep his space and gave him a warm smile, Blaze returning it with a nod.

"Captain, what you did was amazing!" said Grimm, admiring him with stars in his eyes. "You saved the whole base!"

"Hey now, you give me too much credit. You, Chopper and Nagase were the ones that sunk the Scinfaxi, I just destroyed one of its burst missiles." said Blaze before they took him into the hangar, smiling as his eyes lit up in awe.

Before him was a brand new F-14D, with some changes to it, thanks to Pops and the mechanics. Its colors were black and grey, two red triangles trailing fire on either side of the cockpit and a single yellow dot in the center of the body.

"Take this as a thanks Blaze, for all you've done." said Pops as he clapped his hand on Blaze's shoulder, looking at his craftsmanship. Blaze winced and Pops withdrew his hand, chuckling awkwardly while he waved it off, giving him a smile.

"Thanks guys, I can't wait to fly it." said Blaze before a staff member from the control room ran into the hanger, sweat beading down his brow after running there.

"What is it?" asked Nagase, some confusion on her face at the man.

They had to wait for the officer to catch his breath before standing up straight and wiping the sweat from his brow. "We've got an unknown fighter entering our airspace. We've gotten looks at it but we don't know where its come from. All of our spy drones we've sent to keep tabs on it have been shot down, even the ones undetectable by radar!"

"What? What kind of plane was it?" demanded Blaze. "Were you able to get a glimpse at it at least?"

"It appears to be a dark grey colored Su-35 Flanker-E with no air force markings or distinctions at all on it. And we couldn't see the pilot very well because the cockpit glass was "

" _Could that be...that one fighter I saw on my radar…?_ " thought Blaze for a moment before he started walking towards his fighter.

"I'll see to that its taken care of." he said, grabbing his flight helmet.

"You can't! You haven't been cleared by the doctor yet to fly!" yelled Chopper, Blaze not even hearing him as he hopped into the seat and winced as he closed the cockpit glass shut. As it sealed with a hiss he started flicking switches to get the new jet ready to fly, in the process seeing that his old squadron patches were nowhere to be found.

He was saddened to see that they couldn't be recovered from the crash, but he wasn't too worried about it because if they had been recovered, it might have been bad for him.

"This is Blaze to the control tower, I'm taking off to intercept that lone fighter."

"Roger Blaze, good luck and try not to push yourself." replied the Control Tower. "You're cleared for take off."

Once the engines were at an acceptable power, he taxied out onto the runway from the hangar past his friends and powered up the engines even further, shooting down the tarmac until blasting into the air, drawing up the landing gear and going after the lone fighter.

Even while his body groaned at him from the forces put onto it from the takeoff, he was able to adjust rather quickly and slowly rolled his neck around while he clenched his left hand and popped his knuckles.

Chopper chuckled as he watched Blaze blend in with the blue sky, Nagase shaking her head with a small smile. "He's a stubborn one, isn't he?"

"For sure." replied Pops.

Blaze looked at his radar and saw the Su-35 moving fast towards Osea, which was strange. He figured that it was Yuktobanian, since only the Yukes would risk sending in a high altitude spy aircraft to observe them. But yet again, it was an Su-35, which couldn't function as one in the first place.

So as he pursued the lone fighter farther and farther away from Sand Island, he was at a loss to what the origin of the fighter jet was, and what the pilot's goal was.

"I _s it an Osean fighter? Wait no, that wouldn't be right, I've never seen an Osean Shukoi in my life...but, if for some reason it is, then why does it not have a air force insignia on it and why how didn't it alert itself to the base?_ " thought Blaze when they reached land, somewhere near Cape Landers. " _And if it isn't...then what the hell is this guy doing?_ "

He took his eyes away from the fighter jet marked out on his HUD, but just as quickly as it was there it was completely gone, along with the marker on his radar. Blaze tapped it to make sure it was functioning correctly and wasn't malfunctioning, his six sense then exploding off the charts.

His missile warning siren blared in the cockpit and he rolled to the right, barely missing a missile that whizzed past his aircraft from behind. He groaned painfully from the stress put onto the stitches in his gut but pushed the pain aside, wrenching his head around to try and catch a glimpse of his attacker.

"Show yourself coward!" yelled Blaze, this unknown fighter starting to get on his nerves. "Come on!"

After a few moments of silence the radio made a weird garbled noise and through the soft static a deep laugh came through it. Then the Su-35 swooped down over him and swung out in front of him, far enough to where he could make a quick escape but close enough so they could talk, at least that's what Blaze thought.

"Ah, that fiery attitude." said the unknown pilot with a slight Yuke accent. "It never gets old."

"Who are you, and why were you spying on us?" questioned Blaze.

"To answer your first question, my name is Markarov. Nothing more, nothing less, that's all you need to know and all you'll ever know. The reason why I've been watching you is to observe your maneuvers, Blaze. Your flying style...I've seen it before." said Markarov, Blaze's eyes widening in surprise.

"Your maneuvers, your twists, your turns, I've seen them all. Your kills are unmerciful and swift, your mind is that of the greatest tactician, able to read the tide of battle in a heartbeat, and you hold a deep pride for not only yourself, but for your teammates and allies around you."

Markarov went on with his monologue uninterrupted, Blaze more confused then ever about what this pilot was even getting on about. This wasn't the first time he had been told about his skills as an ace, other people had pointed those things out as well.

"I know exactly who you are." Blaze's heart skipped a beat and now he started to sweat a little.

"And I bet you don't want to let your little secret out, hm?" asked Markarov, toying with him.

"You're lying, you don't know who I am."

Blaze growled a little while the pilot chuckled at his response. His six sense was still going off inside his mind and he kept a hand ready on the trigger, his right foot bouncing up and down on the cockpit floor in anticipation.

"Well, if you've been spying on me, and even if you _do_ know who I am, why make yourself known now?" he asked. His question was answered rather quickly when Markarov pulled an aggressive turn with the jet and charged Blaze from head on, without fear.

"Regardless of what I respond with, it doesn't matter. I still have some suspicions to confirm for myself. Let's see how well you can hold your own!" shouted Markarov as he released four QAAM long range missiles that locked onto Blaze's jet.

"Shit!" cursed Blaze as he swung to the left, the four missiles following right behind him.

He took a sharp turn to the left, then a sharp turn to the right, all in an attempt to lose the missiles or make them collide with one another and remove the threat for him. But Blaze couldn't lose them, these missiles stayed right on his tail, and it left him with one last trick to try and get them off.

"Fine, you want to play like that? I can play like that!" growled Blaze as he jammed the flight stick to the right, entering an aggressive barrel roll. The missiles followed the motion, staying in a tight circle that progressively got smaller and smaller until they finally did collide with each other, a huge explosion appearing behind Blaze's plane.

Blaze then turned his jet around and locked onto Markarov's Flanker-E, firing four XLAAs with multiple taps of the button before giving chance. The two pilots engaged in a close quarters dogfight, going back and forth between attack and defense in their dance of death. Whenever Markarov would lose missiles tracking them and would fire on Blaze, he would do the same thing and continue the cycle.

Blaze led his opponent as much as he could then held the trigger down, releasing a short burst of gunfire. He saw a few rounds hit the body of the Su-35, making tiny little sparks, and he grinned expecting some visible damage to be seen but instead its whole body actually started to flicker.

"What the hell?"

"This fighter jet is not your ordinary fighter, my friend." revealed Markarov as the flickering made the Su-35's appearance disappear, an entirely different looking plane appearing with the similar figure of a Yuke aircraft. "Dubbed the Su-55M Frigate-D...let's see how you fare against it."

"Bring it!" challenged Blaze as he flew after Markarov again, the two restarting their dance.

Blaze fired a missile and Markarov spun to the right quickly, flipping back around to come up behind Blaze, firing four more QAAM missiles at him.

"Dammit…!" said Blaze, having to run away from the missiles again, which didn't last long.

He broke away from them and started the chase with Markarov again instantly, his maneuvering of the Super Tomcat exceptionally great, even though the plane itself didn't possess it that well. In the middle of the maneuvers he could feel something tear and he was sure he must've ripped open his stitches, but he had more important things to worry about and had to simply let it be.

" _He's maneuvering a fighter that doesn't possess a fair amount of agility like a pro, as if it were the fast plane in existence...as expected of him._ " thought Markarov as he pulled a lever in his plane, flipping open a plastic cover on the flight stick, a red button underneath.

He pressed it and a missile launched out from his right wing, already facing backwards before, and straight at Blaze. Markarov at first was smirking at his victory, but things turned out the complete opposite he wanted, first with Blaze spinning right over the missile, the weapon passing by inches away from his left wing, and secondly with Blaze shoot a storm of bullets into his left engine, an explosion following behind with a large trail of smoke.

Markarov was jostled around inside of the cockpit from the crippling blow to his jet and after regaining his senses he took control of his jet again, Blaze leveling out behind him to ready up the killing blow.

"Good shot...but you'll have to do more than that." said Markarov before he flipped a switch on the control panel.

A heavy clunk came from the back of his jet when the destroyed engine literally detached, and the back part of the plane split apart to allow for the second engine to be shifted over and take its place in the middle, repowering up and blasting on the afterburners.

Blaze was surprised at first, seeing a two-engine fighter recover from damage by transforming into a single engine model, but he shook it away and gave chase after the pilot once more with a vengeance.

"Markarov!" shouted Blaze in anger, and in pain.

There was a warm and moist sensation around his gut as blood seeped from the reopened scar tissue, and the nagging, fiery sensation from his burns decided to make a resurgence right at that time. It got incredibly difficult to maintain an effective chase with Markarov, and the pilot was able to notice it quite easily.

"Seems those injuries you sustained are getting to you hm? I'd say you have about three minutes before you can't take it any longer. Better hurry…" taunted Markarov, Blaze snarling from the multiple factors affecting him, including this man's attitude.

He blasted the afterburners in pursuit of Markarov, following every twist, turn and loop he made, never leaving his six o'clock. Blaze bit his lip and sucked down the pain again, his adrenaline taking over for him and letting him continue the fight.  
At this point Markarov actually started to worry and began taking more risks to try and get to Blaze, firing several more backwards missiles, but his adversary continued to best him by avoiding each and every one of them with exceptional skill and almost a omnipotent sense that he knew what was going to happen before it happened.

" _Seems I was a bit too cocky...that's what I get for taking him on._ "

Blaze finally got the lock on he was looking for and fired a single missile, Markarov doing little to dodge it and allowed it to strike the left side of his jet, shearing off the entire wing down to the root in a fiery explosion.

"Get out of my sight before I finish you off." snarled Blaze before he heard another chuckle from Markarov.

"Ask for not whom the bell tolls...for it tolls for thee." said Markarov as he suddenly uprighted the plane and skillfully flew it away with the remaining wing.

Blaze would have given chase, but he couldn't ignore his body screaming at him for any longer and he lurched forward slightly, his plane wobbling slightly. It was time to return to Sand Island before it was too late, for stars were already appearing in his vision.

"Shit...Gotta get back!"

Chopper was in the control tower with Nagase and Grimm, the three of them having been there ever since Blaze had first left, eyeing the sky in worry for their flight lead and waiting to see his plane fly back towards them.

Nagase was the most worried out of the three of them, pacing back and forth endlessly with glances coming from Grimm ever so often. He knew she cared greatly about Blaze as her flight lead, but seeing just how concerned she was for Blaze's general wellbeing, it definitely made him wonder.

"There he is!" said Chopper from behind the binoculars. When Grimm looked back at him and asked for the binoculars, Chopper quickly handed them over so he could look into the sky.

Sure enough he could see Blaze's jet approaching Sand Island from the same direction he had left the base, and he handed them back to the control tower operators before running to the exit.

"Come on, let's get down there!"

They ran out of the control room and hustled down the stairs, Nagase quickly taking the lead, all the while Blaze was drenched in his sweat and was fading in and out of consciousness again, but his will kept him awake long enough to successfully land his plane and come to a complete stop.

He fumbled around with the cockpit release handle and finally found it, pulling it back and opening the canopy before he slowly stood up, being met by Nagase, Grimm and Chopper moments later.

"Captain, are you alright?" asked Grimm while Blaze slowly got himself out of the cockpit, clutching his side and grunting as he went.

"Yeah...I'm fine. Just get me to my room please, I need to sleep." said Blaze with a wince of pain as he lowered himself down to the ground, Chopper and Grim throwing his arms over their shoulders and walking him slowly towards the crew quarters.

Nagase spotted the red spot around his stomach where his injury was and frowned, shaking her head and pointing towards the building that held the medical war.

"No, you're going back to the medical ward. You opened up your stitches again."

"Nagase, I'm fine, I can go back-"

She slapped him across the cheek, much to the surprise of Chopper and Grimm since they were holding him up. The slap, while not as hard as she could have done it, was enough to knock some sense into Blaze and make him stare at her in surprise.

Blaze was able to see just how concerned she was for his safety with a deep look into her eyes, something he had learned from experience with those he met. And if the slap was an indication either, he recalled just how many times she had stuck by him on their missions. After a few more seconds of silently staring at one another Blaze finally relented and sighed, nodding his head once.

"Yeah...take me there. So the doc can fix me up again…"

Nagase's frown softened and she nod her head one out of approval, Chopper and Grimm following her lead when she started to walk there herself. They brought him back inside and while Grimm went to get the base doctor, Chopper took him back to the room he was in and sat him down on the bed.

"I'll go get some water, yeah? Kid?" he asked. Blaze nod his head tiredly, and Chopper left the room to fetch it.

"Captain...you should be more mindful about yourself…"

Blaze looked up at Nagase and let out a breath of defeat, seeing her with her arms crossed made him feel sorry about what he did.

"I'm sorry Nagase…" he apologized, putting his hands together. "I know you're wanting to keep me safe, considering...what happened to Bartlett…"

Nagase walked up to him and without a word she put her arms around his head and hugged him gently, Blaze's eyes widening slightly from the rare show of affection from the normally aloof Key Nagase. He would have said something but he was too tired to, so he let his body lean more into her while he let her hug him.

"Were you able to find who was piloting the jet…?" she asked, keeping her voice low for his sake.

"Sort of...the pilot's name was Markarov...he was skilled, that was for sure. But...I couldn't figure out what he was doing here…"

"Markarov...was he a Yuktobanian?"

"Yeah, he was, I think...but the strange thing was that after I damaged his jet...he flew in the direction of Osea, we were near Cape Landers."

That was enough to make Nagase wonder herself about who the pilot could have been, but she decided that would be something to talk about later. Right now, Blaze needed time to rest, so she let it lie and kept hugging him softly until he actually fell asleep a few moments later.

When Chopper came back with the water and Grimm with the doctor, Nagase motioned silently to them to keep quiet and let him rest. After the doctor assessed that Blaze was out cold he did the work on his stitches while he slept, putting in new ones for him and shaking his head the entire time, before finally leaving.

"Are you going to be okay Nagase?" asked Chopper, hands on his hips. Nagase nod and gave him a soft smile after pulling a chair up next to Blaze's bed.

"Alright then. Take care. We'll bring you some food in a little bit."

"Bye Nagase." said Grimm with a smile and wave, the two boys leaving the room and closing the door behind them.

When they were gone Nagase let out a sigh and leaned back in the chair, her eyes slowly moving through the room until they rested on Blaze's sleeping form, his chest slowly rising up and down with soft breaths coming from his lips. His hand was resting by his side out in the open and for the first time Nagase finally noticed something she hadn't been able to see before hand.

Resting comfortably around his third finger was a golden ring, clean and polished, like it was fresh from a jewelry store. Nagase closed her eyes and kept smiling softly as she extended a hand out and put it on Blaze's hand, just happy to feel the warmth in it and know that he was alive.


	12. Handful of Hope

A/N Leave a fav and review!

And I hope everyone's had a chance to check out my new profile picture for Fanfiction. Hehe, it's a nice little teaser for what's to come.

* * *

 **Chapter 10 - Handful of Hope**

 _Amidst the eternal waves of time_

 _From a ripple of change shall the storm rise_

 _Out of the Abyss peer the eyes of a demon_

 _Behold the Razgriz, its wings of black sheath_

* * *

 **\- Briefing Room -**

 **\- October 22nd, 2010 1072 hrs -**

Blaze had finally been cleared by the doctor to be able to fly again two days prior, right on time for another mission. Even though his injuries were healed, he still winced from small pinpricks of pain from time to time while walking. The bright side was that it was nowhere near what he had to suffer through at the beginning of the recovery process, and he sure got an earful from the doctor for his stunt with flying.

He returned back to reality as he approached the briefing room and opened the door. He was the last to enter and when he sat down, Perrault coughed to get their attention.

"Since we thwarted their invasion, we haven't seen any major offensive by the enemy for several weeks. Almost like we're at peace again eh, people?" asked Perrault with a slight smirk. "Anyway, let's get this briefing started."

"Yuktobanian combat operations have been dormant since their failed large-scale invasion and the loss of their underwater carrier, the Scinfaxi. However, there is still a concern over a possible infiltration by small-scale forces from the ground and air." started the briefer, a top ground gridded image of a place called Akerson Hill appearing on the projector screen.

"You will split into flights of two and carry out patrols in the area from Akerson Hill to the northern coastline. The airspace above the grain fields extending around Akerson is covered by our Osean AA system. The system automatically fires missiles at any hostile aircraft it detects. Patrol the northern coastline of Akerson Hill, which is out of our AA system's range. Dismissed." finished the briefer before the lights were turned back on.

Blaze and Chopper were about to leave with the others until Perrault stopped them.

"Blaze, Davenport, come here." he ordered, the two of them glancing at each other before walking up to him and stood at attention.

"At ease. I wanted to tell you two something." said Perrault, Blaze and Chopper relaxing.

"I wanted to congratulate you two on your battlefield performance, First Lieutenant Alvin H. Davenport, Major Blaze."

Blaze and Chopper both raised their eyebrow as Perrault pulled out a small box, occupied by one silver, rectangular pin and a golden leaf pin. Blaze and Chopper took out the pins and attached them to their uniforms.

"You two are dismissed." said Perrault, the two of them saluting before they exited the briefing room.

 **\- Akerson Hill, Western Osea -**

 **\- 07°28'19"N 168°03'23"E -**

 **\- October 22nd, 2010 1616 hrs -**

Blaze and Nagase were alone at the moment, nearing the coverage area of the Osean AA defense network. They were in minute fifteen of their patrol after Blaze had split up the squadron into two groups to cover more area, the typical pairs being Nagase and him as one, with Chopper and Grimm as the other.

However the silence that the two of them got to enjoy for the past fifteen minutes was brought to an end when Chopper's voice came through on the radio, sounding quite annoyed.

"That stupid geezer Base Commander just won't give us a break, will he?" he asked, huffing a bit at the end of his question.

"He's relying on us, First Lieutenant Chopper. And congratulations on your promotion by the way." said Grimm rather cheerfully. His optimism didn't really help improve Chopper's attitude.

"I don't feel any better…"

"Hey you two, what's your current position?" asked Nagase, breaking up the conversation to return to their mission.

"Three hundred miles south of you." replied Chopper, still somewhat glum.

Blaze and Nagase confirmed his statement and continued on their way towards the coastline, taking a glance at his radar to see the approaching coverage zones for their AA marked by circles, some small, some huge. He looked back up and didn't immediately see it at first, but after squinting he did notice something in the air a little ways away from them.

It didn't take long for Nagase to see it two and without even having to say anything, the two pushed their throttles forward a slight bit to pick up speed, getting closer to the object. As they got closer the unmistakable outline of a plane became clear, but before they could start making guesses the radio started to crackle and pick up broken pieces of speech.

"...damaged, but the damage is light."

"Transmitting aircraft, state your assignment and current status." questioned Nagase, trying to get in contact with the aircraft.

They slowed down once they got close enough and Blaze was surprised that it was an Osean C-5 Galaxy, the largest transport plane the military had on hand. He had no idea why one would be this far out without any escorts, and just what kind of purpose it had to be out here in the first place.

"Oh, finally, a response... This is the Osean Air Defense Force transport plane Mother Goose One. We're flying to the neutral country of North Point... We have the transmitter set to minimum power. Please come in closer so we can hear."

Blaze and Nagase moved their planes closer to the C-5 and waited for another response, and upon doing so Blaze saw a nasty bit of damage under one of its wings along the fuselage, with slight traces of smoke coming from it, but nothing too serious that would ward concern.

"...Ah, I think this is you on our radar. Can you see us? We'd like you to guide us to a safe passage corridor through the AA defenses. We're on a top secret mission and are not transmitting a valid friendly ID signal to the ground-based automatic defense systems. As a result, a friendly surface-to-air missile was mistakenly fired at us. We narrowly avoided a direct hit, but our radar system was destroyed, and we can't fly a safe path through the AA system."

Blaze and Nagase were thrown for a loop when the man on the other hand told them about their purpose, and looking closely at the Galaxy he could clearly see OADF markings, but it's not like ground-based SAM systems could distinguish between an enemy fighter or a friendly transport that wasn't transmitting the correct identification.

So it was no contest that Blaze and Nagase immediately complied and flew out ahead of the Galaxy, flying in an escort formation for the transport.

"Roger Mother Goose One. We'll escort you through the AA defenses." radioed in Blaze, activating the auto-pilot. He would only have it active until they reached the coverage zone, at which he'll turn it off.

"...Uhh, the air defense command just received multiple radar hits on an enemy formation closing on your position. First bad guys we've seen crossing the pond for a while. Warning alarms are goin' off like mad, but we're the only ones near enough to intercept 'em in time." reported Chopper.

From where he and Grimm were farther south he gave a signal to his partner and they pushed the throttles forward, increasing their speed. "Hold on, baby, we're comin' to your rescue."

"Understood, I'm counting on you two." said Nagase as they approached the coverage range, Blaze already mapping out the route through his head.

"Okay, I've got him on my radar." said another voice over the radio, one that all four of them knew all at once who it belong too.

"Just like the intelligence said."

"The radio's picking up the enemy's voice!" whispered Grimm, even though he didn't have to.

"These guys sound as beautiful as Thunderhead. Sweet as a rose, I tell ya." mused Chopper, making Grimm snicker a little and Blaze and Nagase hold back a laugh.

The team was divided up like that, Blaze and Nagase were the all business and no joke attitude types, well mostly Nagase, and Chopper and Grimm were the joke around chatty type. They worked excellent together, despite these differences, and Blaze was happy to be among such unique individuals.

It breathed some life back into his being that, for a while, he had neglected for quite some time. It was nice, having friends around again. He couldn't help but notice how Nagase seemed to be getting closer and closer to him.

" _Especially when she hugged me…_ " he thought.

"Don't let up just because it's a transport plane. If we take out this guy, they won't just give us a medal, they'll build a statue in our honor." said another enemy pilot, sound particularly cocky.

"This cargo's certainly worth that much." said another enemy, adding the total count of known enemy fighter pilots up to four.

That was one full squadron equal to their identified, but Blaze assumed that there was more to be seen, especially when they came within range of their radar. However that was another matter, right now, he had to worry about the approaching AA coverage zones.

"What are they talking about?" asked Nagase, referring to the "Cargo" they mentioned. "Guy? What are you carrying, Mother Goose One?"

"Don't worry about that. We need your escort. We're completely defenseless." said the Transport Captain.

Considering how quickly he responded and how firm he was with said response, Nagase felt that something was a little fishy. Blaze felt the same way, but to pursue it would take their minds away from the mission at hand.

"Well now, this is turnin' out to be a weird little race against the enemy." joked Chopper again. "Don't worry too much Kid, we'll beat 'em."

As soon as he said that, Blaze, Nagase and the C-5 had reached the AA coverage zone, Blaze turning off his jet's auto-pilot. He checked to make sure that Nagase was still on his wing, following close, and that the C-5 was directly behind them in a close formation. On confirmation, he slowed his airspeed down enough to allow for more maneuvering with just yaw right or yaw left, and entered the coverage zone blanket first.

They passed by the first bubble without any difficulties, going straight for now, and Blaze made a habit of checking behind him for the Galaxy as if he were driving a vehicle on a road.

"Any problems on your end?" he asked after a minute or so of flying.

"No, but we'd like to get out of this airspace ASAP." reported the Transport Captain, Blaze chuckling a little.

"If I were in your spot, I would too." he replied before returning his attention to his radar and the sky in front of him. "I would too…"

"Mother Goose One, push to radio frequency one three six megahertz." Nagase said after their last transmission came in a little weakly.

"Roger, switching."

They flew deeper into the AA coverage zones, slowly yawing around the circles so that the Galaxy didn't have to risk any more damage to the airframe by sharp turns. Everything seemed to be going smoothly and the stiff feeling in his spine seemed to go away, the thought that nothing would go wrong becoming more of a reality.

"I never thought the skies over our own country could be so unfriendly."

"Yeah...you never know what will happen, even in your own skies…" said Blaze somewhat ominously, his mind drifting back into some of his older memories.

He had to stop when they arrived at a large left turn and Blaze started to yaw slowly, the C-5 pilot following along in the behemoth of a plane. Nagase was actually impressed by the captain's impressive skill in flying the damaged aircraft with its limitations.

Soon enough they got out of the wide turn and had to risk it a little with a slightly sharp turn, but Blaze was able to skillfully manage it with a well-timed yaw and momentary stop with the air brake, the C-5 captain following his maneuver. After they accomplished the feat though Blaze and Nagase jumped when they heard loud beeps coming through their radios from the transport plane.

"Warning! We have an oil pressure problem on the right engine!" The voice of another person reported in a frantic voice, most likely the co-pilot.

"You take take the controls. I'll check the instruments." said the Captain calmly. The sound of shuffling was heard as the captain got up from his seat to check on the sensors while the co-pilot kept the plane flying steady behind Blaze.

"Mother Goose One, is everything okay?"

"Yes...everything's fine." The co-pilot let out a sigh of relief when he got the a-ok from the captain. "It was just a sensor malfunction."

Nagase and Blaze let out their own sighs after hearing the good news, but their hardships weren't over yet. They still had to make it out of the nest of coverage zones, and then they had an unknown amount of enemy fighters to deal with on the other side too.

It looked like today was going to be another one of those days. Minutes went by like hours as they crawled their way through the maze of coverage zones at a snail's pace, but it worked out in the end.

"We're making a large right turn up ahead, then we'll be out of the coverage system shortly afterwards. We may have to have you bank, is this alright?" asked Blaze with a quick glance back to the C-5.

"Roger, just limit your turns and we may not have to bank." replied the Captain. "If we do, then I'll do my best."

Blaze nod his head and with Nagase they started to turn around the large coverage circle, making sure to not turn to sharp or risk having the plane have to bank right. Thankfully, yawing worked the entire way around and like a breath of fresh air they escaped the maze out into open air, free of the stress from one thing...and going right into the next.

"This is Mother Goose One. We have successfully navigated through the AA system. Thank you, however I'd like to ask for your continued escort." asked the captain as Blaze and Nagase moved back to flank each side of the plane.

"Roger that Mother Goose One, we'll stay with you." replied Blaze. He already had eyes on his radar for any sign of the enemy.

Coincidentally, as soon as he did four signatures marked by triangles on his radar screen appeared with a slight ping. Nagase saw them too and made sure to relay it across their channel with Mother Goose One and their other squadron members as they too appeared from the south.

"Enemy fighters spotted on radar, approaching head-on." said Nagase. "Yuke fighters."

There were four of them, just like Blaze had suspected. But he still kept the card on the table about there being more Yuke fighters out there, in case the first flight couldn't get the job done. Luckily he had Chopper and Grimm back and he gave them both a wave when they flew up next to them, filling the gaps in their squadron once more.

"We're here Kid, we're under your command now." said Chopper. "Let's roast these guys!"

"Mother Goose One, please separate at maximum speed. We'll take care of the enemy fighters." ordered Nagase, the C-5's captain gladly doing so. The huge plane slowly dropped its altitude slightly to disengage, entering a slow dive to get lower to the ground to make it harder to spot.

"Please, I'm counting on you." pleaded the captain.

Two more blips appeared on the radar approaching from the northwest, proving Blaze's hunch about more fighters as correct. The only reason they would reveal their spare fighters would be that they had been detected as well, and not expecting escort fighters they made the call to bring them in.

He took a closer look at the radar and saw how quickly the blips jumped across the screen, catching up to the first squadron rapidly. Making a judgement based off that, Blaze had only one plane in mind that went that fast.

" _It's gotta be Foxhounds...fantastic…_ " he thought bitterly at the thought fighting those, "fighters from hell" he liked to call them, again.

"More enemy planes appearing on radar." said Nagase as a courtesy to inform Mother Goose One.

"Roger... Roger! Agh, dammit!" cursed the captain, loud beeping being heard over the radio.

"Your speed's decreasing. What's the matter?" Nagase glanced over her shoulder

"Mechanical trouble. I'm losing thrust on engine one!"

While they had to leave the Galaxy to its own troubles to meet the enemy fighters, they still couldn't help but worry for it. When they got within view of the enemy fighters, what looked like to be four Su-27 Flankers and two, just like Blaze had called it, MiG-31 Foxhounds, became distinguishable, and Blaze groaned a little.

"Engage the enemy fighters, don't let them get near the transport ship." ordered Blaze as he readied himself. "Be careful of those Foxhounds, those little bastards are quick!"

"Roger, engaging." replied Grimm after Blaze split apart the Yuke squadron like a cue ball would to the grouping of billiard balls. Nagase was lucky to catch one of the Flankers in a bad turn and with a single missile she brought the fighter down in a fireball, the Yuke fighters left getting ancy.

Meanwhile, all things on the C-5 Galaxy weren't going so swell, the crew scrambling to fix what was happening to the craft. "The oil pressure gauge is dropped further!"

"I'll take a look. You take the controls."

Back with the pilots, the two Foxhounds didn't even bother with the wardog pilots and zoomed past Chopper and Grimm, Blaze swearing as he spun his plane around and gave chase after them. If they got through to the transport plane all of the work before hand would have been for nothing, and the people on the plane would perish.

"Transport plane in my sights." said one of the Foxhound pilots as they approached.

" _Heh, all he needs is more of a yuke accent and they would sound exactly the same._ " joked Blaze inside his head. He locked onto the Foxhounds and fired two XLAA missiles that caught up to them quickly, since they had to slow down to get a proper lock on with the Galaxy, but only one got shot down.

The Foxhound who's pilot hadn't spoken yet managed to roll away in the nick of time and avoid getting shot down by the missile, the massive engines on the rocket of a jet taking it away from Blaze in a quick manner. As it did so Blaze was able to look down as he dove to pursue it and carefully analyze it, mainly the design of its pilot's preferred paint job.

It had the area around the cockpit painted black and a single black diamond painted in the center of the fuselage, and by that along Blaze was able to recognize who the pilot was instantly.

"Seems we meet again eh?" he asked the enemy pilot, a chuckle being heard from the other side.

"Ah, it's you. The F-5E pilot from before flying under that F-4G. A pleasure once again." said the pilot as they circled each other while Nagase, Chopper and Grimm shot down the other fighters without Blaze's assistance..

"Captain, are you in trouble?" asked Grimm, Blaze glancing back at him as they approached.

"No, I'm fine. Just meeting up with an old opponent we met near Sand Island the day...he was shot down." said Blaze, knowing discussing *him being shot down still being a touchy subject with Nagase.

"Well, okay then. Ah, dammit! More enemy fighters! Nagase, Grimm, let's get 'em!"  
"Right behind you!"  
The three turned around to engage the new approaching fighters while Blaze continued to circle with the Yuke pilot, neither of them making any moves on the other. It was like two predators engaged in a stare down, sizing up one another for any weaknesses that they could exploit.

"So, that intelligence ship you guys had there pick you up?" asked Blaze while he continued to circle with the Yuke pilot.

"Yes, and I wanted to get right back up in the air again. I was promoted to First Lieutenant a couple of days ago and given this plane. A little quick isn't it?"

"Yeah, I call em "Planes from Hell"." replied Blaze, the Yuke pilot chuckling at the name.

"It fits well for it. What rank are you I wonder?"

"Got promoted to Major today."

"Very nice. Although, I guess we need to start trying to shoot each other down." said the Yuke pilot before he zoomed after Blaze, launching a missile at him while the latter dodged it, their chase beginning again.

On the transport plane, the problem couldn't be solved so the captain had to resort to beginning to guide the plane with the co-pilot towards the ground. The cockpit door then slowly slid open however and he glanced back over his shoulder, seeing one of the crew stepping inside with a blank expression on his face.

"Hey, get back in your seat. Don't approach the...hey, hey, what're you doing?!"

The man brought his hand out from behind his back, revealing a Beretta M9, and before the captain could do anything he was shot once in the chest, the bang resonating through the radios to the Wardog pilots.

The co-pilot was startled and jumped out of his seat, the man pointing the pistol at him, finger pressing down on the trigger, before he was struck from behind by a briefcase and fell forward. On the way down the hit made him squeeze his finger and fire off another bullet, this one hitting the co-pilot in the shoulder and causing him to collapse from the pain.

"Was that a gunshot?" asked Nagase. "What's going on?"

"Hey! It's Dutch rolling!" Chopper said. True enough the C-5's began to wag back and forth irregularly before it was able to recover, but instead of the voice of either pilot coming through, it was an entirely different one they hadn't heard before.

"Uh, this is transport plane...uh...Mother Goose One. The Captain's been shot."

"What?!"

"There was a spy in the crew, and I managed to knock him out. Uh-oh, two of the engines have shut down." spoke the voice again, two of the jet engines on the plane blowing up and trailing thick smoke.

"Hey! What kinda cargo you got in there? Is it something dangerous?" asked Chopper suspiciously.

After a few seconds of silence, he asked again, "Hey! You there?"

"The Captain's dead and the co-pilot was wounded by a stray bullet. Tommy's holding the stick now, but he's just a secretary...he's never piloted a plane before."

Tommy? Blaze was thrown for a loop by the completely unexpected name, and as he and the Yuke pilot kept dog fighting one another he made quick glances back at the C-5 as it lost more altitude by the second.

"So...who are you?" asked Grimm.

The man was silent for another moment again before answering. "I guess you could call me...the cargo on this plane. Could you tell me how to control this plane? I'll relay everything to him."

Almost as if it was second nature, Nagase, after she, Chopper and Grimm had down the second squadron of Yuke Su-27s sent to shoot down Mother Goose One, started to relay instructions to the man on board. She had a small smile on her face, and felt a sense of happiness take over inside of her as she did.

"Lower your altitude and prepare for an emergency landing. Put your flaps down. That'll lower your airspeed." she said calmly, the lower the tension. "Can you find your flap lever?"

"Flap lever...is that it? No, that on, Tommy. Pull that one."

As Mr. Cargo and whoever the hell Tommy was listened to Nagase's clear and concise instructions, the Yuke pilot fighting Blaze looked at his radar and saw he had no allies left in the air with him, and that staying any longer would only make his downfall more inevitable. With that, he made the command decision and gunned it as fast as he could away from Blaze, using his Foxhound's huge engines to their maximum.

Blaze was tempted to give chase but the safety of Mother Goose One was important, so he allowed the pilot to make his escape, but not before they shared some final words.

"I guess next time it is then." he said with a little chuckle.

"Indeed. What was your name, so that I can commit it to memory?"

"It's Blaze. Blaze is my callsign."

He wasn't able to get much out of the Yuke before he left the area, but what he did get was that the squadron he led was named Kvant, and that his callsign was Czar. It was perfectly Yuke, a Czar the name for the medieval kings that used to rule Yuktobania, and it fit him quite well.

"Wait, an emergency landing?" questioned Chopper. "But the ground's full of those electric generator windmills!"

"Do you think you could clear those out for us?" asked Mr. Cargo, watching through the cockpit windows.

"Let's do it."

With no other option available the four of them got to work using their guns and manual lock-on function to destroy as many windmills that could be in the way of the C-5 as it made its emergency landing as possible. They didn't really know just how many headaches it would cause for those who would have to come out and replace them, but they didn't care either because they had more important matters.

"Are you still there, Ma'am? With the lovely voice? Uh, Miss…"

"First Lieutenant Kei Nagase...Sir."

Blaze raised an eyebrow to Nagase responding so respectfully to the man, and at first he chalked it up to her naturally doing that. But after listening to the man's voice in his head again it all clicked and his eyes widened when he realized the truth, and grinned because of it.

"Ahh, and a lovely name as well."

"And I'm Chopper!"

Blaze and Grimm had to hold back their laughter, considering how innocently and boisterously Chopper had declared his callsign to the man, but they couldn't contain it no matter how hard they tried, and burst out laughing with a force, tears coming to Blaze's eyes.

"That's...a good name, too." replied Mr. Cargo, making an awkward smile as they neared the ground.

"I like you, man." said Chopper with a cheesy grin.

The C-5 was now practically gliding, all of its engines either damage beyond working order or shut off in accordance with Nagase's guidance. The Galaxy was, for all intents and purposes, was now just a huge glider.

"Tommy's going to try landing now. He's doing his best, but he's never done this before. I...I don't know if we'll make it, so I just want to thank you before we go."

"You'll be okay!" Grimm reassured them. "He'll do fine!

Mr. Cargo smiled at his enthusiasm and put his hands on Tommy's shoulders, the younger man shaking nervously but taking a deep breath as he began the final descent. His guide pointed out the broken windmills as their landing strip, and little by little the Galaxy drew closer and closer to the ground.

Blaze joined his squadron higher up to observe the Galaxy finally hit the ground, its belly kicking up dirt all over the place as it roughly slid through the farmland and ended up knowing down a few small trees. But overall, once the plane finally came to a halt and it tipped toward the right, leaning on one of its large wings with smoke still coming from its damaged engines, it seemed to them to be a complete success.

"That's a pretty good emergency landing I'd say." said Chopper as they circled back over, awaiting a response from Mr. Cargo.

"This is Archer, surrounding airspace is clear of enemy aircraft. Everything is A-OK." reported Grimm. "Also, good job on the landing!"

"Are you alright, Mr. Cargo?" asked Nagase, wanting to hear his voice again. "Is everything okay?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess. That was a pretty smooth ride, actually." responded the man calmly. Tommy on the other hand was sweating bullets as he let go of the controls and had to get up to walk off the adrenaline, the wounded co-pilot laughing a little at him.

"Mr. Cargo...I've got a question I'd like to ask you, if that's alright."

"What is it?"

Nagase looked up to the deep blue sky above them, making a small smile as she did. "The Bird of Peace...did you really have to use that beautiful white bird for this war? Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"...Yes, I do."

"I...I wanted to see your bridge of peace...span into outer space." said Nagase, Blaze smiling a little at her respect towards the man.

While Chopper and Grimm were still clueless to the man's identity, at least he and Nagase shared joint knowledge on Mr. Cargo's true identity, and he felt proud to have been here in his time of need.

"It's still possible. Thanks to the bird, we're on even terms now. The reason why I'm trying to get to North Point is because I believe we have a chance."

"To hold talks in neutral territory." added Nagase to finish his thought.

"Right. Communication is vital."

"So, I can still believe in you then?" she asked rather quietly. "I don't want to see any more young men and women lose their lives."

"Me neither."

Chopper then interrupted the tender moment. "Uh-oh, I'm almost out of fuel."

Blaze, Grimm and Nagase checked their fuel gauges as well and found they were nearing the end of their tank's life as well, but with no one to watch over the crashed plane they were at a loss of what to do.

Luckily enough, the four were relieved to see a flight of four friendly jets appear on radar heading their way, the infiltration of the Yuktobanian fighter jets catching the attention of someone else and drew them their way. Once they were close Blaze identified them as grey F-15S/MTDs, and as they flew by the leader got in contact with them.

"This is the Osean Air Force 8492nd Squadron. We observed the emergency landing on our radar." spoke the leader. "You can leave the rest to us. We'll provide support until the transport plane's crew is rescued."

"Roger 8492nd. Take care of them for us." said Nagase before they banked right in formation and retreated from the area.

"Sure thing."

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

We received a sitrep from Central command. The crew on board the transport plane you encountered during your patrol has been rescued by the 8492nd Squadron. Currently, that is all the information we have.

 _\- Sand Island -_

 _\- October 23rd, 2010 1395 hrs -_

After Gennette's article "The Four Wings of Sand Island" was published to wide acclaim, he grew bolder. He managed to steal a quick look of Perrault, the emperor of the base, before Perrault started to glare at him with a rather pissed off expression and he felt a hand wrap around his arm.

"Don't." said Hamilton as he yanked Gennette away from Perrault and some other executive officers and down towards the end of the hallway.

"He's in a bad mood today. If he catches you, he'll have your head."

"What happened?" asked Gennette in confusion while Hamilton walked away, shrugging before turning the corner.

Gennette sighed as he switched off his camera recorder and dropped it off in his room, leaving for the break room afterwards. He found Nagase lying on the couch beside the window, writing in her red book again with sunlight pouring through the blinds on the window onto her face.

He took a seat beside the couch and relaxed a little, Nagase glancing up from her book for a second at him before resuming writing.

"The Arkbird."

"Hm?" asked Gennette, turning towards her.

"The White Bird in outer space. With Yuktobania outclassing us in firepower, it was the President's one trump card in the peace negotiations. And now... it's fallen right out of our hands." said Nagase when she looked up from her book and out the window.

The Arkbird, a super weapon capable of attacking from space, far beyond the reach of the enemy. Its power generator was destroyed by explosives planted inside a supply shipment launched from Earth.

Once again, the balance of power had tipped toward Yuktobania.


	13. Lit Fuse

A/N Leave a fav and review!

And everyone I want to say something really quick. Before you read this chapter I want to give a big shoutout and thank you to another fellow Ace Combat fanfiction writer and player too, his name is Doran Maya.

Doran's been on fanfiction longer then even I have and has crafted together some really wonderful stories with his own world-building and fiction as well, that I remember reading back in the good ole' days of 2014. It feels so long ago now since I've actually read a fanfiction because he was actually the one who gave me the inspiration to begin writing my own Ace Combat fanfictions.  
That's right. Back in 2014, the reason why I first started writing Retribution of a Demon was because of this guy. So please, if you know him, I'm sure some of you do, please give him some love and support for all the work he's done and if you don't know him, get to know the guy. He's a cool dude and a fun guy too, and a good writer too.

Yes, he can take long periods of time to upload but that's only because outside of writing he has a busy life doing other stuff. So if you read his stories as well, be patient with him. He's a good guy and he has big plans for his works, trust me on that. :)  
If you don't know him, hop on over to his profile and read some of his stories too, its been a long time since I last saw his works, but if it was enough to make me want to get out of my shell and showcase my works to the world to be enjoyed by all Ace Combat fans, it would definitely be worth going to see his works as well.

If you all could find it in your hearts to do that, I would really appreciate it. We share some history together, Doran and I. I would love it if you, my wonderful readers, could let him know just how much we're thankful for being one of us, an Ace Combat writer, fan of the series, and a provider of fantastic literature that can help us live the lives of our characters either in similar ways to the game or different.

Thank you Doran! We love you man! :)

* * *

 **Chapter 11 - Lit Fuse**

 _Amidst the eternal waves of time_

 _From a ripple of change shall the storm rise_

 _Out of the Abyss peer the eyes of a demon_

 _Behold the Razgriz, its wings of black sheath_

* * *

 **\- Briefing Room -**

 **\- November 1st, 2010 1432 hrs -**

"Our Army is finally ready to conduct a large-scale counterattack against Yuktobania. If we succeed, we'll never have to face the humiliation of those Yukes trampling on our homeland again. The goal of this operation is simple, to invade and occupy the Yuktobanian mainland." said Perrault, beginning the briefing for the very important mission ahead.

"We're going to conduct a large-scale amphibious assault against Yuktobania on the Bastok Peninsula. This mission will be called "Operation Footprint." The landing force will be selected from the 1st and 2nd Osean Army Battalions. They will be divided into four companies- A, B, C, and D - and transported to the area via landing craft." explained the Briefer, bringing up the company landing points on Volna Beach, the area where they will land on the Bastok Peninsula.

"Upon landing, each division will fan out and destroy the enemy bases scattered throughout the area then rendezvous and reform into a single large force unit to assault the final target, the fortress. The Yuktobanian defense positions along with coast are tightly dug in, and we have concluded that air attacks alone will not be enough to destroy them. Therefore, Operation Footprint will be a synchronized air and ground attack to neutralize these positions."

The bunker locations and the location of the fortress appeared on the map of the peninsula, Blaze being sure to remember those significant positions.

"It is critical that you follow the specific targeting instructions of the ground commander to maximize the effects of your attacks. We are expecting poor weather conditions and fierce resistance from the Yuktobanian defense forces. The fortress is protected by pillboxes and a defensive wall. Provide close air support for the ground forces, and get as many soldiers as possible inside." finished the briefer, allowing Perrault to speak once again.

"I wish you the best of luck in battle." he said before he exited the room, Blaze, Nagase, Chopper and Grimm leaving behind him.

 **\- Bastok Peninsula, Southeastern Yuktobania -**

 **\- 04°32'42"S 123°29'45"E -**

 **\- November 1st, 2010 1630 hrs -**

The weather over the landing beach was very cloudy and rain drops fell at a steady rate as the landing craft of Companies A through D approached the coast. The rain and wind would be a tough opponent to deal with on the ground and in the air, but they remained optimistic since the Yukes would be facing the same situation, hopefully.

Blaze had already switched his radio frequency to use the channel that the ground forces were using so that they could all communicate effectively with one another. Since it was to be a land and air operation, being in constant contact would enable them to work efficiently to achieve the best possible chance of success.

"Terry, I got something I need to tell you." said an Osean scout already on the peninsula observing the Yuke beachhead.

"The enemy's right in front of us, Scott. Save it for later!" whispered back his partner, Terry.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Later, then." replied Scott.

Blaze chuckled a little at their little side conversation, Nagase sharing a little laugh as well as they flew over the allied naval fleet, that had already begun their naval bombardment. With that started and the LCIs carrying the troops with their tanks and troop transports, Blaze readied himself with a deep breath.

For the operation Blaze had made a change to their aircraft line-up, with Nagase and him keeping their F-14Ds while Grimm and Chopper got to fly the ground attack variant of the Tomcat, the F-14B. Before leaving he was sure to give Chopper and Grimm a quick rundown about the aircraft since they were fundamentally similar, the two variants, but with the two not having very much experience with ground attack operations, that's where most of the time went to.

"The four companies will now land at their designated beachheads. Commence close air support." ordered Thunderhead.

Blaze dispersed the squadron and they flew towards the coast line, soaring over their allied troops in the water to their loud cheers of support. The very first line of defense the Yukes had put in place for the invasion was a line of machine gun nests,pillboxes and artillery pieces set up in cleared out cliffside overwatch points around the beaches, so that would be their first target.

"Go, move forward! You're almost there...that's it! Keep going!" urged on Chopper over the radio, getting a little to anxious as he watched the ground troops.

"Relax Chopper, they'll be fine." said Blaze with a little chuckle. "Take out those artillery positions so they can have a relatively smooth landing."  
He fired a missile into one of these positions and grinned as it went up in flames after the flyby, Grimm and Nagase scoring their own kills as well. Chopper on the other hand was a little late to destroy one and flew rather lazily, something Blaze noticed right away.

"To hell with this war…"

Blaze looked over at Chopper's plane with a raised eyebrow at his mood towards the war, even after everything that's happened so far. Yeah, this was the first war they had been actually apart of and they'd seen some tragic things, the altercation in the Eaglin Straits and the terror of the Scinfaxi. But It was war, so what?

What he's seen throughout his life has taught him that people lived and people died, that was all that was to it. It was harsh, but it was reality, and the only way to go through it was to pay respects when respects were due, be hard when it was required, and move on. But most of all it was to be strong and not let the mind be clouded by other delusions, just like back then...when it happened on a grander scale.

"This is Company A. Landing successful! Deploy the armored vehicles, now!"

"Move, move! Land already! Hit that beach and start running! There's no time to kiss the ground!" yelled Chopper in annoyance after the defensive batteries were taken out. He had been so busy dealing with whatever inner demons he has that Grimm, Nagase and Blaze had done all of the work destroyed the artillery positions and first line of machine gun nests.

They couldn't get all of them, since some weren't as visible as the ones they destroyed, and had to hope the ground forces could deal with them without taking too many losses.

"Landing confirmed. Continue your support. Fly top cover for the armored vehicles." ordered Thunderhead.

In just the few seconds of the four companies hitting land and racing out over the beach, gunfire from machine gun nests that Wardog couldn't hit began to sweep the coastline from the forested hills, many Osean soldiers falling into the wet sand among the tank traps and barbed wire. They couldn't stop the whole force however and hovercrafts that held the heavy artillery dropped their ramps, main battle tanks rolling out and laying down covering fire for their allies. The first wave included ten M1A1s forming a line as they maneuvered their way through the tank traps and acted as shield for the soldiers, several fireballs erupting from the jungle when the hidden machine gun nests were hit by a shell from their smoothbore 120mm guns. Larger caliber rounds were fired back at them and one of the tank commanders was able to identify the source, anti-tank artillery pieces were hidden within the jungle, one glancing off the turret of his tank and leaving his ears ringing.

"We've got a massive amount of gunfire hailing down on us from the jungle edge! We're pinned down and cannot advance!" he yelled into the radio as the tanks had to stop.

"Wardog, take out those gun emplacements and relieve our ground forces." ordered Thunderhead, Blaze quick to reply.

"Chopper, Grimm, drop two GPBs each onto the positions the tanks are marking." he ordered, the two of them dropping down towards the ground. Several anti-tank gun emplacements were marked by the coaxial guns of the tanks, some trees getting knocked down when their trunks were cleaved through.

"Roger Captain, dropping one." replied Grimm, the guided bomb disconnecting from the underside of his plane, a large concentrated explosion shooting out from the forest below, followed by a second from Chopper.

After the flames were gone and all that was left were smoldering ruins and burnt trees and foliage, the lead tank commander in each company gave the order to push forward with the reinforcements landing on the beach behind them.

"Nice! Anti-tank gun emplacements silenced! Keep moving!" reported one of the Company A officers.

Company A and B, with their forces fully disembarked and moving as one, they advanced up the beach into the jungle along their predetermined paths, while C and D had to wait a few more moments for the rest of their company strength to join the initial landing party before moving on. Blaze and Wardog circled overhead as observers for the time being, waiting to be called into action, but after he spotted large bunkers built into the hills along all the paths he knew that their help would be needed in a matter of seconds, which it was.

Suddenly three explosions ripped apart the earth in the center of Company B, one of the tanks losing a track and halting the advance while soldiers when flying. As the cloud of debris showered on them they looked to the bunkers over them, raining gunfire from machine gunners artillery pieces.

"We have confirmed artillery fire from bunkers in the hills! Take cover!"

"Take out those bunkers for us, we'll run in at the same time!" requested an officer from B company.

"Roger, go now!" said Blaze as he launched two missiles that slammed into the targeted bunker, a huge smoke cloud and large chunks of stone exploding outward.

Soldiers scaled the hill, dodging bits of the bunker that fell down from the missile strike and attacked the dazed and stunned Yuktobanian soldiers. Chopper followed up with a precision bomb strike that shattered the roof of a bunker hounding Company B and a platoon of soldiers assisted by a tank attacked it, both companies seizing the objectives and silencing the bunkers.

The other bunker across the one the Company A soldiers just over was hit by Nagase and like its predecessor, it too fell to the Osean forces. The parties that silenced them returned to the main force to continue forward, and Company B was soon able to as well after Grimm assisted in the take down of the second bunker hounding them.

"Bunkers halting the advance of Companies C and D." reported Thunderhead when he was alerted by one of the officers on his plane of their halt. "Hit them with an air attack and the ground forces with follow after."

Chopper made a run over the beach on his way over to the two new bunkers appearing on their radar, being able to see the beach down below littered with the bodies of soldiers, the sand and water stained red. He shook his head slowly before he locked onto the first missile.

"Company C, firing on bunker now." he said after firing off two missiles that slammed into the bunker, spraying more debris down the hill it sat upon.

As he made a fly by to observe his handiwork he watched the soldiers advance up the hill but took cover quickly, two massive explosions splitting apart the earth near the bunker. The other bunker was busy attacking the rest of the force down on the past, so the only thing that he could think of that could make that attack was long range artillery.

"Hey, there's some artillery somewhere that we can't see yet! They're hammering our guys!"

"Roger Chopper. Thunderhead, you see anything up there?" asked Blaze as he destroyed a small pillbox.

"Roger Wardog. It appears that there's an artillery emplacement to the northwest."

"Thanks Thunderhead. Nagase, advance northwest and take down that artillery, then report back." ordered Blaze.

"Roger, splitting off." replied Nagase, following the marker Thunderhead put on their radars.

Nagase scanned the ground for the artillery and it didn't take her long to find them, spotting several large plumes of smoke emerging out from under some trees and grass, or so it seemed. She waited a few moments to confirm the artillery and when she saw another one of the hidden pieces fire off a shell, she let it loose on the position with her gun and a volley of missiles. The whole plateau went up in flames as the artillery and their ammunition was destroyed, Nagase circling back

"Artillery silenced, returning to formation."

The invasion was going relatively okay, with Grimm and Chopper taking out another set of bunkers that hindered the advance of companies C and D. One of the Osean soldiers in Company D looked to his right after firing a few shots from his assault rifle before he felt the ground rumble under his feet.

All of a sudden what he thought was solid and some patches of grass and fallen trees erupted as a hidden trap door was pushed open by the body of a Yuke tank He spun his head around and he paled as more of the tanks sprouted from the very ground itself, the soldier quickly turning back and yelling, "They got tanks!"

While he and the rest of his platoon made a mad dash to get back to the main force the squad of five Yuke T-90s roared down the hill from where they were hidden, firing their main gun onto the unsuspecting Osean ground forces in the valley along the path. The same trick was pulled where the other companies were, and soon enough they were being assaulted on all sides.

"Air Force, we've got several Yuke armor squads surrounding us, we're pinned down and we can't advance! We need help quick!" shouted one of the radio operators from Company A as they came under fire.

"Roger, hold on!" responded Grimm after arming two GPGs. He then dove down from above and spotted one group of five T-90s rushing down the hills from the right side, led them by the pipper on his HUD, and dropped them.

"Bombs away!"

Grimm pulled up hard after releasing the bombs and glanced back over his shoulder, seeing two giant plumes of fire and smoke rise up from the jungle after the bombs hit their marks. They landed right in the gaps between the formation and a few were completely knocked out, while others had their tracks blown to smithereens and spun them out of control.

When that happen the Osean Abrams tanks were able to easily pick them off with precise shots into their hulls, igniting their ammo racks and detonating them. Grimm followed it up by attacking the other armored unit hounding Company A with the same attack and in the blink of an eye the Yuke armored sneak attack was put out of commission.

Chopper, Nagase and Blaze attended to their own individual companies at the same time, it working out that there was one of them for each company, and with their combined efforts they were able to halt the armored attack and enable the ground forces to push forward to the next line of bunkers.

"Our bunkers are fine against the ground forces but they're useless against those air attacks!" shouted a Yuke soldier over the radio.

"Scramble everyone! Get them out!" yelled another.

Up in the air Thunderhead's team got a warning and he went to one of the monitors, seeing that at an airfield built close by the the target fortress, the Yuke air force was kicking into high gear to assist their ground forces in the defense of their home land.

"Yuktobanian attack helicopters and ground assault fighters taking off from enemy airfield. Wardog, prevent any damage to our ground forces!" he reported immediately, his team quickly updating Wardog's radars.

"Roger Thunderhead. Nagase, stick to me, we'll handle the fighters. Chopper and Grimm, continue assisting the ground forces. Hit 'em hard, hit 'em fast, but most importantly, stay safe."

"Roger Captain!"

"I'm with you Blaze." Nagase got on his six and they left the immediate area over the ground forces to meet the Yuke air forces head on.

While they did, companies A and B merged together at the end of their paths, and companies C and D joined up too, the four companies advancing along the paths towards the summit of the series of hill mountains before them, where the fortress was located. As they advanced, so too did the two scouts Blaze and the others had heard over the radio before the landing had started, something Blaze was glad to know about, which meant they have lived so far.

"Damn, it's like they're plowing the ground with bullets!" whispered Terry as he snuck around a bunker that had yet to be taken out.

"Don't get hit man, I still have something to tell you!" said Scott from across the valley on another hill, in a position that gave him perfect sight on the Yuktobanian fortress.

"I know, I know messenger boy! Just hang in there!"

Blaze smirked at their little discussion, the two scouts managing to keep a lighter tone despite the carnage taking place around them. Even with their best efforts, the ground forces had already lost an unknown amount of soldiers and a few tanks had to be left behind and destroyed with what explosives they had.

They didn't have time to mourn the dead, they had a mission to accomplish, they could retrieve their fallen brothers to be sent back home when it was all over and they had established a proper beachhead.

"Nagase, bogeys in front. Mi-24s and Su-34s. Let's go to work."

"Roger, Blaze."

She spun off his tail and the two met the Yuke aircraft head on, the Su-34 pilots telling the helicopter pilots to veer off and continue forward towards the Oseans. Blaze wouldn't have any of it and he trusted Nagase to handle the fighter bombers, while he broke off to chase down and engage the attack helicopters.

Blaze only had minor trouble from the Yuke helicopters, avoiding a few bursts of gunfire before he took them down easily. He glanced over his shoulder and grinned as he watched Nagase shoot down the last Su-34, eliminating the threat they posed to their allies on the ground. With them out of the way, Nagase and Blaze formed up to return back to their friends, Grimm happy to see them while Chopper's ugly side showed itself again.

"This operation is pointless...these guys are just gonna storm in, head-on, following orders...that's how war is fought, and that's why I hate it!' he yelled with a growl over their own channel, Blaze glancing at him again.

"I mean, how could the President authorize an escalation of the war like this? That Mr. Cargo guy was the President, right?"

Nagase looked down at her hands as they flew in formation, waiting for the next call to action for the ground forces. Grimm made a glance to the side while Blaze sighed a little to himself, not really wanting to say anything to Chopper while he was like this again.

"I thought I could believe in him back then...I had no idea he was such a wuss."

"No, he's not." said Nagase , her voice as heavy as stone.

Chopper clenched his hands around the flight stick and eventually sighed, cooling down on his own while silence took over between the four pilots. They flew like that as they adhered to the ground force's ever whim as they pressed on towards their goal, the last line of bunkers falling before the Osean soldiers and tanks advanced to the first defensive wall of the fortress atop the hilly plateau.

As they did, Nagase and Blaze were the one to shoot down any helicopters or ground attack aircraft the Yukes sent to assist their failing ground forces, much to their growing irritation.

"Hey, this is Second Lieutenant Rubin from B Company. This is our Captain's last operation with us and we all think we should make his last day a memorable one. Think you could comply?"

Blaze smiled as he did a flyby over where B company was. "No problem, I'll handle it personally."

"This is Rubin, we own you one. Marching to the sound of air support bombings...pretty fitting."

Blaze had Chopper take his place with Nagase when another wave of Yuke aircraft started to advance from the same attack vector, instead joining Grimm as the ground forces began the assault on the defensive wall before the fortress itself, each gate defended by two large bunkers.

"This is Company A, even from there you can tell we're the best company right?" asked Company A's CO.

Blaze was too focused on destroyed a few artillery pieces firing from inside of the fortress at his allies, and Grimm wasn't paying attention, so after no response came the man's voice came over the radio rather please.

"I guess we're all doing great out here. Good, real good!"

"Whoa, hey! The Captain's coming up to the front line! He's gonna get himself killed!" remarked a soldier soon when he saw the CO, after saying that over the radio, brandish a rifle and join his troops in the thick of it.

"I'm glad he's come to join us in hell!"

The ground forces pounded the bunkers with their tanks while the soldiers stayed hidden behind them, taking shots whenever they could while waiting for their friends in the air to hit the bunkers.

"You know, my older brother's down there." said Grimm completely out of the blue. Needless to say, Chopper went nuts at that little exposition.

"What?! You shoulda told me that earlier, you moron! Where is he?" he asked frantically, Blaze imagining that he was whipping his head back and forth over the ground forces, trying to spot Grimm's brother.

"I don't know, they all look the same."

With the combination of air and ground attacks, just like all the others before them, the final line of bunkers fell to the Osean forces and they busted down the gates with C4, advancing now as one giant army towards the last two bunkers at the fortress gates, the control tower visible from over the gigantic wall.

All that remained were the ones who were assigned to defend the base, and without the support of artillery that was inside of the fortress, thanks to Nagase, and with their air support suppressed every time they tried to come and help, it was just them left.

"Final Line of bunkers seen including a Yuktobanian armored platoon, let's finish this!"  
"Rubin, move the troops over to the left side, that's our weakest flank." said a new voice, over the radio, one that sounded weathered and experienced.

" _That must be the Company B's commander. Time to act Blaze!_ " thought Blaze before he started a steep climb. A quick explanation of his plan to Chopper and Grimm got them to follow right behind him.

"This is Blaze to all companies, do not try this at home. I repeat, do not try this at home." he reported after they reached an acceptable height, then spun into a quick nose dive.

He flew between Grimm and Chopper on the way down, waiting for the exact moment before giving the order for them to release all of their bombs at once, Blaze firing off two missiles of his own for each bunker as well. Chopper let out a loud yeehaw and Grimm laughed as they all pulled up at the same time, their ordinance flying for the bunkers and hitting them both with precision accuracy and producing devastating results.

The roofs of the bunkers were penetrated by the bombs and with the missiles as fuel for the fire, the entire structures went up in two huge plumes of fire and smoke that shook the very ground itself. The Yuke tanks close to the bunkers behind the gates were knocked out, the shockwave sending them toppling onto their sides or even flipping them over entirely.

Deafening cheers came from the Osean soldiers as they raised their rifles and guns into the air in victory, the voice of a single soldier practically unable to be heard over his brethren as they broke through the gates and drove right into the fortress..

"All bunkers confirmed silenced, we've captured the entire fortress!"

"Happy last day Sir! We wish you all good luck!" laughed Rubin over the radio, the entirety of Company B in an outrage.

"Wow...I'm honored to have served as your CO. Drinks are on me tonight!"

As the Osean forces continued to rejoice, and Wardog made their flybys over head, watching with smiles on their faces, the scouts that Blaze enjoyed listening to so much finally revealed themselves and found a place to sit down, watching the festivities.

"Alright, things are a bit calmer now, what's on your mind? Hey, Scott!" said Terry.

"Hey, chill out, Dad!" Scott grinned at him. "Congratulations!"  
"What? Really?"

"Yeah, you've got a bouncing baby boy. Go ahead, give her a call."

Blaze shared a laugh with Nagase and the others as they made their last flyby over the captured Yuke fortress before turning back towards the beach, taking a good look at the carnage they left in the way the whole way back. They could already see the Osean fleet off the coast sending in more landing craft to establish a beachhead, giving them a secure foothold in Yuktobania.

"Let's go home guys, its been a long day."

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

After intense fighting, the landing force captured and secured the fortress target. Thanks to the success of Operation: Footprint, we have secured the southeastern coast of Yuktobania. We've decided to make the fortress our first forward base on Yuktobania as we expand our combat operations inside the country. After we complete construction of our defensive positions, our ground forces will continue their advance to the final target, the capital city of Cinigrad.

 **\- Tyrann Mountains, Eastern Republic of Ustio -**

 **\- November 1st, 2010 2150 hrs -**

Makarov was flying silently over the white topped mountains that formed the southeastern border of Ustio and Sapin, as always marvelling their untouched natural beauty until his radio crackled.

Since his altercation with Blaze, he had already gotten his aircraft replaced, the engineers who received it shocked to hear the damage caused to it was by a pilot who flew an F-14D.

"Did he perform well?"

"It was as expected. His squadron is gaining fame rapidly within the Osean and Yuktobanian ranks, you know. Among the Oseans they're called the "Four Wings of Sand Island." replied Makarov as he made a slight adjustment to the navigation system, the autopilot doing the rest.

"Cute. Have you figured out anything yet? You know, about _them_?"

"No, not yet. Though I do have a little tidbit that seems a little strange. Yuktobania's Prime Minister and Harling, Osea's current president, they both desired peace between their respective countries, right?"

"Yes, what are you leading to?" asked the voice.

"Don't you think it's a bit odd that Yuktobania would openly attack Osean territory, and then Osea itself would launch an invasion of Yuktobania? Without anything coming from their two commander-in-chiefs?" explained Makarov while removing his oxygen mask and scratching at his five o'clock shadow.

"You're right, that is odd. Report back to base and refuel for the next operation. I'll tell the President immediately." said the voice before the radio cut off, silence returning to Makarov's cockpit.

" _I know you're still out there...waiting in the shadows…_ " thought Makarov before leaned back in the flight seat and closed his eyes, drifting off to a light slumber.


	14. Blind Spot

A/N Leave a fav and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 12 - Blind Spot**

 _The demon soars through dark skies_

 _Fear and death trail its shadow beneath_

 _Until men united wield a hollowed sabre_

 _In final reckoning, the beast is slain_

* * *

 **\- Unknown Location -**

 **\- November 2nd, 2010 2401 hrs -**

A man was sitting in the darkness of an office, isolated, alone. He was facing away from the door, looking out the open window down towards the city below. In the darkness, a little light from the night life in the city reflected off of something he wore, glasses it looked like. The door to the office opened and without turning, the man knew who was standing in the doorway.

"Are they in position?"

"Yes, they are."

"Good, take your team and return to Krylo Air Base and remain there until called upon."

"Of course Doctor."

 **\- Briefing Room -**

 **\- November 2nd, 2010 0800 hrs -**

"The Yuktobanian force that defended the Bastok Peninsula is staging a large-scale withdrawal from the area. After analyzing the situation, we have determined that they are pulling back the force to regroup their defense network and strengthen their capital defenses. Yuktobania's southern armies sustained heavy damage during our landing operation, and their defensive war power has weakened considerably. Their withdrawal is currently proceeding under the curtain of a set of electronic jamming signals. The enemy's air forces consist primarily of transport planes. Pursue these planes, destroy them, and halt their retreat. Dismissed." said the Briefer before he and Perrault stepped out of the room, Blaze scratching his hair and blinking a couple of times, still half asleep.

Chopper, Grimm and Nagase were the same way, half asleep and barely awake, but all of them knew this would have to change soon. They were heading out to Yuktobania and it would take them a long time to get there across the Ceres Ocean. Blaze walked out of the room and down the hallway, reaching down into his pocket for his lucky coin, but when it came back empty, he started to worry.

" _Oh shit my coin...Dammit if someone figures out that its mine and the symbol that's on it and starts asking questions…_ " he thought before he calmed himself down and continued his walk to the hangars.

" _It's fine...it's fine. Don't worry about it until after the mission. Can't fly with a clouded mind._ "

 **\- Dresdene, Southeastern Yuktobania -**

 **\- 02°39'14"N 117°31'59"E -**

 **\- November 2nd, 2010 1011 hrs -**

After receiving a fuel up after reaching the beachhead their allies had established on the Bastok Peninsula in the previous operation, Wardog had flown deeper into Yuktobanian territory, passing over hilly and mountainous terrain to reach their target area. After hours of relative peace and quiet, with some chit chat here and there, Chopper spoke up as they neared the retreating Yuktobanian transport aircraft.

"Hey Kid, did you take a listen to that song?" he asked joyfully. He seemed to have gotten over his previous malcontent for the war, or maybe he was hiding it, Blaze didn't know.

"Yeah, it was a good song." Blaze agreed with a nod.

"Yeah, that "Face of the Coin" is a great tune, huh?"

Enemy blips appeared on their radars as Thunderhead updated them every time his team identified a new unit, until they were all plotted and marked. It was a mixture of transport and escort aircraft, standard Su-27s, but to Blaze it seemed to him that they could've needed more escorts.

"Engage enemy fighters, wipe them out. Shoot down the transport aircraft afterwards, since they'll be sitting ducks in the air. Special weapons are permitted. Go." he ordered, the four of them splitting apart to engage the first group of retreating craft.

As they did Thunderhead, in his plane, took a seat and grabbed a quick sip of his coffee before he glanced to his right at a radio and turned it up a little after hearing a familiar voice. After recognizing it, he thought it right to connect it to Wardog's radios, and in no time at all the pilots below got to listen in on the broadcast.

"Due to current circumstances, we have been forced to set foot on Yuktobania with weapons in hand, However, our true enemy here is the Yuktobanian military who started this unjust war." spoke the commander of Osean forces in Yuktobania, General Howell.

"Therefore, I ask you, the citizens of Yuktobania. Do not fear us, but rather join us."

"You think it'll be that easy?" asked Grimm after Howell finished, their radios going silent.

"Hell no it won't." Blaze replied. "I have enough experience to know that won't happen."

Their discussion had made the time pass by and they were coming up behind the first group of Yuke aircraft, the transports getting marked on their HUDs along with the escort fighters. He pushed the throttle forward hungrily, ready to shoot down the fighters first before the others could so he could try and make a little competition.

He was then thrown for a loop when his HUD flickered slightly and suddenly it and their radars exploded with new enemy contacts, the amount of metal flying in the air tripling to the point it made their eyes hurt to look at their HUDs.

"Whoa, that's a lot of metal flying." he remarked, pulling up his glare visor to rub his eyes.

"We gotta bag all these planes?" whined Chopper. "This sucks man…"  
"You think every enemy plane in the area is up and flying?" Grimm asked innocently. Despite the well-intended question Chopper couldn't resist himself and had to hop on the chance given to him.

"I dunno, hey, let's ask 'em. "Hey, how many planes you got there?" he asked, as if he were calling out to the enemy. "Hehe...Man, this is makin' me cry.

Grimm shared a snicker with him too and Nagase shook her head disdainfully at their shared corny humor, while Blaze rubbed his eyes again and looked at his HUD, still seeing the target icons becoming fuzzy and sometimes blinking in and out of sight for a fraction of a second.

He knew it wasn't because they were out of range, they were within range, so it was impossible for some to disappear for that reason. But what other reason could there be for the botchy signatures? One look at his radar told him a similar story, the screen buzzing a little louder and becoming distorted slightly every so often.

"Guys, look closely at your HUDs and radars. Do you see any of the target signatures flickering at all? Or just general fuzziness?"

"I see it too, why do you ask?" replied Nagase.

Blaze had a theory, but he needed some help to determine it was true. And for that he needed his wingmen to help him out.

"Two reasons. One, so I know I'm not going insane. Two, shoot down the two transport craft on the far right side of the formation." stated Blaze before locking onto the escort fighters with his special weapons.

He released a pair of missiles and and down the fighter jets without any resistance whatsoever, something that greatly disturbed him. Nagase and Grimm followed in his footsteps by shooting down the transport planes he pointed out and, all of a sudden, the signatures in that area vanished entirely from their radars and HUDs.

" _Just like I suspected…_ " thought Blaze with a smirk. He began to scan the skies, trying to find the snake he knew was hiding up there.

"Whoa! They all vanished at once!"

Chopper looked at his radar again and even wiped off the screen with his hand to make sure it was clearly showing the right information, and he started to manually count enemy blips with his finger.

Once that got too hard he sat back in his seat and groaned again, clearly exasperated by the amount of fighter jets and transport planes in the air with them. However, if being around Blaze had taught him anything, he looked back again and he started to think outside the box.

"There's way too many signatures on radar. Kid, Nagase, Grimm, how about you guys?"

"Yeah."

"My radar is showing strange results as well." said Nagase before she smelled something fishy too. "Something's going on."

Blaze narrowed his eyes when he thought he saw something high in the sky, at first thinking it was something smudged on the canopy window, but when he attempted to wipe it away and he hit nothing, he grinned.

He had found his prey.

" _Gotcha._ "

"Hey, uh, you don't think...wait a minute...Aha...I think I've figured it out." Grimm was proud of himself and his detective capabilities, and grinned.

"Well, do share your keen insights, will you please? What's up?" questioned Chopper.

"First Lieutenant Chopper, jammer aircraft!" he announced boldly, Chopper's smug grin dropping just as quick as the fake target signatures did.

"So, it's a trick?"

"Of course it is." said Blaze. "What would you do when you're trying to cover a large aerial retreat like this?"

Nagase smiled as she pat took her hand off the throttle and shook her fist around in realization, the puzzle pieces now all in place for her as well.

"You cover them with jammers to confuse the pursuers!"

 **\- Murska Air Base, Northeastern Yuktobania -**

 **\- Ten Minutes Earlier -**

"Ready up, we're heading out."

A group of four men stood up after receiving their briefing orders through a satellite phone the leader carried on his person at all times, and they walked out of the room to head outside to the tarmac where their jets were waiting.

When they exited the building they were stopped by another group of men, the leader approaching the phone carrier and offering a hand to him. They shook, looking one another in the eye as they did, before letting go.

"Good luck."

"We won't need luck...everything's already been put in place for this."

"Don't you think this is taking it a little too far?"

As the four man group was walking away with the phone carrier, the question struck a nerve within the leader's soul and he slowly turned his head. He gave a look of sheer hatred to his opposite and growled, clearly this was a subject that sat deep inside of him and was something he had thought a great deal about.

"I'm perfectly fine with this. Remember...this is payback for what they did to us."  
He swiftly turned back around and continued walking with the other three men in his group to their jets, putting on their helmets and powering up the engines to take off.

 **\- Current Time -**

"Don't let the jamming confuse you." said Thunderhead as he got his team to identify the locations of the enemy jamming aircraft. "Repeat, don't let the enemy's jamming confuse you."

Chopper let out a heavy sigh of relief when their fuzzy radars were given precise radar blips of the Yuke jamming aircraft affecting them, Blaze already grinning ear to ear at the thought of hunting them down and scoring an easy kill as he did just that.

"Okay, I feel better now. Ghosts aren't as bad once you figure out the trick behind them."

Blaze leveled his jet behind one of the Yuke E-767s that had been tasked with jamming them, and with a little burst of gunfire to the tail to scare everyone on board, he laughed when the plane suddenly tried to bank to the right in a vain attempt to escape.

He denied their escape by firing a missile right into the large rotating disk mounted on the back of the aircraft and it exploded, along with the rest of the plane when its body split into two and careened towards the ground.

The Yukes who were still alive and further out ahead of them now became aware of the failure of their plane and got ancy because of it, some of their worried chatter coming in through their radars.

"You guys down there focus on the escort fighters and transport aircraft, I'll shoot down any jammer I come across up here." ordered Blaze as he shadowed his squadron from above.

"Roger Captain, good luck to you."

Nagase took point in the squadron in Blaze's absence and they moved as one cohesive unit through the air towards the next massive concentration of aircraft, many of which they knew were fakes meant to throw them off.

Blaze encountered another E-767 and he shot it down without any difficulty, the fake signatures in the second grouping dropping off radar almost instantly. When they were just about to attack the second group, their radars let out a deafening screech and everything went to shit in a matter of seconds.

The enemy jamming got so bad that it became impossible to speak clearly, Blaze couldn't understand practically anything anyone said and this included even Thunderhead himself, despite his advanced electronic equipment onboard his own E-767.

"...enemy...jamming waves...interference…"

"What….on…?"

"Guys, guys, can you hear me? Is anything coming through?!" asked Blaze, trying to get in contact with his wingmen.

It was then when his radio, through some stroke of luck, managed to pick up a voice he recognized very, very easily almost crystal clear.

"This is the 8492nd leader. All 8492nd units, proceed as planned."

" _Wait, 8492nd...that's the squadron that relieved us when the President's plane had to make that landing!_ " he thought in shock. " _What the hell are they doing here? Did they get deployed to Yuktobania too?_ "

"Dammit...even our radio's...can't…" said Chopper, sounding distressed.

Despite the heavy jamming the operation continued forward, Blaze hoping that even though they couldn't talk to one another they still knew the mission needed to be accomplished. One glance after turning his aircraft ninety degrees alleviated that worry when he saw his wingmen bear down upon the enemy Yuke aircraft, taking care of the escort fighters first before they attacked the defenseless transport aircraft.

What Blaze wasn't expecting to hear were the Yuke pilots over the radio, and unlike Chopper or any of his other friends and Thunderhead, the Yukes were receiving the full force of the intense jamming as well.

"Heads up! …. us!" yelled one loudly, only the beginning and ending of his sentence heard.

"Hey, Kid, yo…...th…...pre...n the air…?" asked Chopper, Blaze blinking from the over stimuli of the situation.

"Y-Yes?"

"Yeah, I agr...tely Na…...he...haha…!" started Chopper before his laughter broke off into painful separated quips. Blaze had to close his eyes tight and try to drown out the sounds of the dysfunctional radar and radio buzzing being injected right into his eardrums.

"It's...jam…!"

It was hectic as hell inside of Thunderheads own E-767, several of the officers having taken off their headphones to rub the insides of their ears while Thunderhead urged them to get back to their jobs.

He growled as he slammed his coffee mug onto a table, spilling some of it, and took control of one of the many monitors inside and started to work himself. After a few moments he was able to speak freely, all systems went green, and shouted out the keywords to get everything stable again.

"ECCM! Restore communication link!"

His team recovered everything and the loud buzzing went away, followed by a clear radar and HUD, the fake signatures fully vanishing. Blaze was finally able to connect with Nagase, Grimm and Chopper, but the four only had time to share a few quick words before they were treated to a chilling proclamation from the enemy.

"The Osean planes are firing on a school packed with civilians! They're at the engineering college!"

"What the hell?! What idiot's doing that!?" sputtered Chopper.

Thunderhead was utterly appalled by what he just heard and his first action, without even checking their position on his plane's radar, was to call out to Wardog or possibly anyone in the area that he didn't know about and set the facts straight right then and there.

"Whoever's violating orders, cease fire immediately!" he bellowed. "Attention, units operating in sector Charlie Omega! Attacks on civilians are forbidden!"

"That's right near us." said Grimm.

"Hell, that's where we're supposed to be operating. You see those idiots anywhere?" asked Chopper. Blaze silently began to look around from where he was up high in the sky, giving him an unparalleled vantage point compared to the others.

He swung his head around from left to right, frantically searching for any signs of friendly aircraft that could possibly be operating where they were, trying to discover the truth. Blaze spotted smoke rising up into the sky and assumed that was the actual city of Dresdene, and that was where the engineering college was.

Then he had a realization. There was in fact another squadron that was nearby then, or he had at least heard them and made the assumption that they were nearby. And if the Yuke exclaimed that Osean fighters were attacking Dresdene, then there was no contest.

" _The 8492nd squadron...are they the ones attacking the college? Wait, wait, why the hell would they?! They rescued the President!_ "

"I'm no joy. I don't see a thing and my radar's clean too." Grimm glanced around from his own cockpit, seeing nothing but the enemy.

"This is Edge. I'm not showing any aircraft like that either. Are you sure?"

While taking looks at the city in the distance and still thinking about the 8492nd squadron, he reached the last E-767 that was providing jamming cover for the last group of Yuke aircraft and shot it down. With it out of the way, he dove down at high speed to meet his squadron as they attacked the Yukes simultaneously, the escorting Su-27s fighting back this time since their cover was blown anyways.

But even then they couldn't escape the situation happening at the engineering college, the next broadcast telling them the attack had ceasing, but still chilled them to their bones.

"Multiple casualties! Get an ambulance over here fast!" Dammit, the Osean bastards!"

Thunderhead himself was getting angry at just listening to the fury of the Yuktobanians coming through the speakers in his plane and had enough of it. He almost shoved a person aside as he practically smashed his finger onto the key to speak through the radios to his pilots, but kept his composure.

"This is Thunderhead. Wardog, did you engage in an attack on a civilian facility?" he demanded, Blaze practically feeling the anger oozing off his tongue.

"Oh yeah, of course we did, what the hell do you think?!" fired back Chopper, offended that their AWACS would think of accusing them. "Why the fuck would we do that? Weren't you watching from up there?!"

"Chopper, zip it. And watch your tone." barked Blaze before clearing his throat. "Thunderhead, this is Blaze. I can assure you we did not engage and attack a civilian facility."

"Roger, Blaze. Continue with the mission."

Thunderhead removed his finger from the button key and sighed, removing the headphones from around his head and setting them down on the console. The other Osean officers aboard his plane were looking at him after his fiery side showcased itself and he raised a hand, telling them he was fine.

He apologized to the man he shoved out of his way and walked over to his seat as the leading officer onboard the plane, plopping down into it and pinching the bridge of his nose.

" _This is going to create a huge shit storm, isn't it…_ " he thought to himself with a growl. He didn't remain seated for long as he shot back up and walked back over to a grouping of monitors and officers responsible for radar.

"You and you, give me a rundown of where Wardog squadron has been within the operational area, and you, give me the precise location of the city of Dresdene in accordance with that. Go!"

The men were quick to comply with his orders and when everything was brought up on screen for him, he leaned forward and carefully observed all of it before closing his eyes and slowly nodding his head.

" _There was no chance that Wardog was the ones who carried out that attack, not once were they near the area, even during the jamming. So then...blast it, that's for another time._ "

"Sir, they've successfully shot down the last transport craft."  
"Hm? Good." replied Thunderhead as he returned to his station.

"Last plane confirmed shot down. All enemy transports and jammers in the local airspace have been eliminated."

The Wardog pilots, with that, turned their aircraft around and began to head back towards the coast with Thunderhead above them. And all the while, the city of Dresdene continued to mourn for the loss of those who fell in the tragic attack.

General Howell, Supreme Commander of the Osean armies deployed to Yuktobania, successfully stormed the enemy beach and established a command center on the spot. The General, who claims to have been given full operational authority by the President, then made the following declaration; "We will march forward and we will not lay down our arms until the Yuktobanian capital has fallen."

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

We have succeeded in halting the Yuktobanian army's airborne withdrawal from the Bastok Peninsula. However, a Yuktobanian civilian complex, an engineering university, has been attacked. This attack occured in an area within operating range of the Sand Island Squadron. Sand Island aircrews will report will report to Central Command headquarters in the Osean capital of Oured immediately.

 _\- Capital City of Oured, Southeastern Osea -_

 _\- November 4th, 2010 1700 hrs -_

Oured, the Osean capital, situated on the coast of Oured Bay at the mouth of the Yarrow River, near the southeastern peninsula of Osea. The winds of war had yet to reach the air here. The air still smells of peace.

Blaze walked with his team up the steps towards Command Central for the OADF from the taxi that drove them there, the hustle and bustle of the huge city behind them. When they walked through the doors all of that was cut away, leaving them in silence as they made their way to the interrogation chambers, When they arrived outside the doors, they were surprised to see another man sitting on one of the five chairs assembled in a row right next to the doors against the wall.

He was a clean cut, cleanly dressed, uniformed staple military man with combed back black hair and green eyes with a little bit of a cleft chin. He was a little on the stocky side, but he certainly wasn't skinny either, resting in a happy medium between the two mediums, and he had a rolex watch on his left wrist.

"Oh, there you four are."

The moment he spoke, that was the key they needed to know exactly who the man was.

"Wait...Thunderhead?" asked Blaze, a little bit shocked by his presence there.

"Whoa ho ho, it's the man himself, in the flesh! Come to see us off into this bullshit tribunal hearing bullcrap?" asked Chopper with a snarky grin, Thunderhead sighing as he stood up and adjusted his uniform. He had a straight look on his face and as he glanced over them he shook his head and that no-bullshit attitude gave way for one a little more endearing.

"No...I've been called here for the same reason you have. They want answers, the higher ups, so they're not cutting any corners."

He approached them and held a hand out to Blaze, giving them an apologetic look while maintaining his rigid composure.

"I'd...like to apologize. I know I didn't outright say it, but it could be taken that I was accusing you of what happened, what I said." Thunderhead said.

Chopper was practically on cloud nine hearing their usually rather abrasive AWACS who didn't take any jokes from anyone, especially him, apologizing to them and actually meaning it.

Blaze smiled and gladly shook his hand. "It's alright. No harm done."

"Yes, it's okay. We understand." added Nagase with her own smile, Thunderhead looking at them and after a few moments giving them a wide smile as well.

"Holy shit Grimm, don't look now but he's actually smiling!" whispered Chopper to Grimm, intentionally making it loud enough for Thunderhead to hear.

"Lieutenant Alvin H. Davenport?" he asked in that dead serious attitude, the smile dropping like a boulder.

"Yes sir, Thunderblockhead sir?"

"Cut the chatter."

He threw his arm around Chopper's neck and started giving him a harsh noogie on the top of his head, Grimm laughing with Nagase and Blaze when Chopper started to flail his arms around wildly and trying to escape from Thunderhead's grip.

This roughhousing lasted for a few moments before Thunderhead let him go and stepped back again, adjusting his uniform and clearing his throat, the business attitude returning.

"Well, before we-"

He was cut off when one of the doors opened and a uniformed military police officer stepped out, broad shoulders and all, and held his arms behind his back.

"First Lieutenant Byron Nelson, you're first."

Blaze and his team were given another surprise when Thunderhead's actual name was mentioned, and he sighed before doing a quick check of himself before turning around and nodding to the MP before walking inside to the interrogation room. The door closed behind them and Blaze went to take Thunderhead's seat closest to the door, Nagase, Grimm and Chopper filling in behind him.

"Damn...I can't believe we're being framed for something we haven't done…" murmured Chopper while clenched his fist in his hand.

"Relax, and tell them what you know when they ask. Always remain calm under these situations and you'll be fine." said Blaze calmly, assuring him with a smile.  
Chopper gave a grin back and he seemed to calm down, the four of them waiting for a little bit before Thunderhead was allowed to leave, the MP waiting by the door for the next person.

"Guess that's me."

Blaze stood up and cleared his throat before he set down his hat on the chair he vacated and walked to the MP. He turned right and entered the interrogation room, finding it different since the last time he had been in one for something a long time ago. The lights were dimmed to the point he could only make out silhouettes as the military officers who would be questioning him, and the podium he was to stand on was bathed in white from a hanging spotlight above.

"Major "Blaze", is that right?" asked a voice from the shadows.

"Yes, sir."

"You refuse to give us your real name, and not your squadron callsign?"

"Respectfully yes, sir. I'd prefer it that way, to keep things simple." replied Blaze, the sound of some papers being shuffled around coming from the shadows.

The man the voice belong to cleared his throat, his silence telling Blaze he must have accepted it and was beginning to start the interrogation.  
Blaze had everything in his mind ready to say if asked, and he maintained his confident composure, but not so much that it gave of the appearance of him faking it to hide that he was hiding something.

"You're the leader of the 108th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Wardog", auxiliary squadron of the Osean Air Defense Force's 5th Fighter Wing, stationed at Sand Island, correct?"

"Yes sir, I am. After Captain Jack Bartlett was shot down during Operation Gyre, and our squadron was called to St. Hewlett to assist in the defense of the Kestrel and other Osean OMDF ships stationed in the port, I assumed command after my second-in-command, Kei Nagase, gave the roll to me."

Some papers were moved around again and Blaze also heard the fast scribbling of a pen against paper, another person in the shadows probably taking down all that was said in the interrogations to come so that they could be looked over.

"We already know this, Major, thank you." remarked the voice rather rudely. Blaze kept himself from uttering something he would regret about the geezer he assumed the voice belong to.

"Did you or did you not engage and attack a civilian complex in the town of Dresdene in Yuktobania while on a combat mission?"

" _Straight to the point...alright then. Better keep it simple and let them ask for explanations, or this geezer is gonna have an aneurysm._ "

Blaze cleared his throat once with a cough and popped his neck a little, the sentences he wanted to say falling right into place.

"No sir, I did not."

"Explain."

"We were flying at an altitude too high to be considered within range of air to ground operations in that region, and though heavy jamming we did not deviate from our predetermined course. I also did not give any orders to my wingmen to attack said facility nor did I myself attack it."

Some more notes were scribbled down and Blaze got tired of holding his hands behind his back, so he rested them on the podium, twiddling his thumbs a little.

"That is what your assigned AWACS officer told us...dd you see any allied planes enter the airspace you were operating?"

"No sir, our radar was clean of any other allied planes." said Blaze before he laid out his trump card. "Although, during the heavy jamming interference, a voice came through that was crystal clear."

"Specify. Who did this voice belong to? Did you recognize it?"

"It belong to the leader of the Osean 8492nd squadron, the same squadron that relieved my squadron over Akerson Hill."

"Tell us his exact words" asked the voice, the scribbler in the shadows pausing.

"But of course." Blaze coughed and opened his mouth. "This is the 8492nd leader. All 8492nd units, proceed as planned." was what he said exactly. That came in before the engineering college was attacked, sir." recited Blaze perfectly.

The squadron brought up some whispers mixed in with the sound of the pen scribbling that lasted a minute or so, Blaze waiting patiently for a question to be asked or if he was going to be dismissed.

He was hoping for the latter, since he had already said his piece, and luckily enough it was exactly what he got.

"Very well, you may leave Major. And you, bring in Second Lieutenant Kei Nagase next."

The MP standing behind Blaze gave the shadow a salute and he escorted Blaze out of the room, holding the door open for him as he walked out and took a breath. He nod his head at Nagase when she was called and as she walked by him, Blaze gave her a pat on the back for good luck.

Nagase swallowed some saliva as she entered the interrogation chamber and approached the podium, squinting her eyes at the bright light cast upon her before the voice coughed to grab her attention.

 **\- Twenty Minutes Later -**

"8492, 8492, is that all what you people have to say? There is no squadron in our military with that number!"

"Dammit!" shouted Chopper, angrily banging his fist on the podium. "What the hell's going on here?!"


	15. Chain Reaction

A/N Leave a fav and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 13 - Chain Reaction**

 _The demon soars through dark skies_

 _Fear and death trail its shadow beneath_

 _Until men united wield a hollowed sabre_

 _In final reckoning, the beast is slain_

* * *

It was so sudden. The four pilots were dragged into the interrogation room together and made to stand next to one another while the voice who had led the investigation talked with someone on the phone for a few minutes.

The sound of plastic against wood and the following silence told them that the call must have ended.

"We've got an emergency here. Our armies are bogged down with the Yuktobania invasion, so we're short on operational aircraft. Unfortunately, as a result, we're going to have to request that you flying aces take off for us. ...So, which mission would you like to take on? That's right, the capital's got more than one attack to deal with right now. How about we use this to decide?"

All of a sudden something whooshed a little through the air and Grimm jumped when a loud metallic clink came from somewhere next to him. They looked down and it was a coin that had hit the ground, spinning around a few times before it started to slowly level out and landed on a face.

When they bent down a little to see what image it was, the coin's head stared blankly back at them.

 **\- Briefing Room, Central Command building -**

 **\- November 4th, 2010 1700 hrs -**

"Yuktobanian aircraft have suddenly been detected on radar southwest of Oured. They are flying in the direction of Apito International Airport, located in the area between Oured Bay and the capital. Apito International is a civilian airport. The enemy's intentions are unknown. Passengers and personnel are currently being evacuated, but the sudden appearance of the enemy has plunged the airport into chaos. Intercept and engage the invading enemy formation and protect Apito International Airport."

 **\- Apito International Airport, Southwest of Oured -**

 **\- 04°16'55"S 138°11'48"W -**

 **\- November 4th, 2010 2024 hrs -**

"I can't believe they flipped a goddamn coin for this mission! That isn't funny man…" grumbled Chopper as they flew under the cover of darkness to Apito International Airport.

Since their jets were back at Sand Island and they travelled to Oured by military transport, the capital allowed them to utilize some of their aircraft for the purpose of the mission. They were F/A-18E Super Hornets, smaller aircraft then their Tomcats, but they would still get the job done effectively.

"There's no point in complaining about it any more Chopper, what's done is done." said Blaze with a sigh. "But...I will agree with you. That was bullshit."

"I second that." said Nagase, none to happy about the circumstances either. "But enough, we're here."

They arrived in the airspace over Apito International Airport and with the twinkling lights of the airport below them, they engaged the enemy fighters they saw with their HUDs and on radar.

It was only made harder for them because there were civilian airliners in the sky as well, circling endlessly because the control tower had denied them permission to land.

"This is the Airport Control Tower! All planes, cancel takeoff clearance! All approaching flights, change course immediately!"

"Change our course? Change it to where?"  
Blaze got behind one of the fighters and was about to attack it before it quickly changed its course, faster then the Yuke fighters he'd seen before hand. He got a glimpse of the fuselage and growled when he saw two unique differences between it and an Su-27, Su-33, or Su-35. The left canard wing, and the right canard wing.

"Shit! Nagase, Chopper, Grimm! Be careful! These are Terminators!" he shouted when his missile alert sirens went off, forcing him to quickly evade.

"Terminators? What the hell is a Terminator?!"

"Sukhoi Su-37 Terminator!" Blaze grunted after narrowly dodging another missile. "Basically Flankers on steroids! These bastards are tough opponents!"

"Roger captain!"

Grimm engaged the Su-37s, Nagase and Chopper doing so as well to keep their attention focused on them and not on the airport or the civilian aircraft in the air. Blaze finally picked apart one of the Terminators with his gun, shearing off its left wing in smoke and fire before going to assist Nagase.

As he did he spotted another flight of aircraft zoom past the airport, probably an Osean squadron since he recognized their fighter jets as the same as theirs.

"This is Air Ixiom Flight Thirty One. A high-speed aircraft just passed by us six hundred yards away!"

"They're allied fighters taking off on an emergency mission. All flights, be heads up for mid-air collisions!" responded the Control Tower operator. While his message was intended to be helpful, it really only poured more fuel on the fire.

"A fighter?! I thought the war was over on the west coast!"

"Aww, how peaceful this place is. I'm chokin' up here, whoa shit!" Chopper narrowly avoided a burst of gunfire from a Terminator that got behind him, but with some quick and skillful maneuvering he led the jet fighter right into the crosshairs of Grimm, who shot it down with a missile.

"Which squadron was that do you think?"

"It's the Capital District Air Defense Squadron. They were going to act as your back up, but the enemy has unleashed chemical weapons in the college town of Bana, four hundred miles from the airport. It's on its way there to spread neutralizers, so you're the only ones that can defend the airport." reported their acting commanding officer over their radios from Oured.

"How could they…" murmured Grimm, feeling sick to his stomach. Blaze clenched the flight tightly as he had to control his own disgust from the outright terror attack, but he couldn't be mad that much, since the same thing had happened to Yuktobania.

With Blaze's prior warning about the Terminators and their ability to work off one another and act as bait so another could take out their pursuer, the Yuke fighters wouldn't stand up to them.

The enemy fighters were soon all brought down and the skies were clear of them for the time being, they didn't know if any other fighters were going to appear. Until then they held over the airport, offering overwatch as they waited for what would come next.

"This is the airport control tower. Military transport planes parked on the runway, state your squadron number and callsign."

Nagase looked down as they flew over the airport again in their holding pattern and spotted several transport planes parked in various places, and even from up there she could recognize them.

C-5s, Osean planes, she didn't think that there could be anything wrong with them. She guessed that they were overlooked because of the enemy fighters attacking the airport, and only now after it had calmed down a bit did they get noticed.

"This is Capital District Air Command. We haven't deployed any allied military transport planes to civilian airports at this time."

"Then who do they belong to?" asked the control tower, confused. He then saw the ramp of one of the C-5s drop open and felt his heart rocket up into his throat at what came out. Just the image alone of the angled turret and low profile was enough to send him diving for cover when a shell struck the tower just below them and rocked the whole structure.

"Tanks coming out of transport planes! They're firing, it's the enemy! Enemy forces inside the airport!" he yelled frantically after scrambling back to the radio from the floor.

Soon all of the transport planes dropped their rear loading bay doors and Yuke T-90's camouflaged in all black paint rolled out from their hiding place, their attention turning to the airport terminal.

Blaze counted at least twenty tanks, and he soon saw more vehicles roll out of the transport. He couldn't quite tell what they were in the darkness but once his missile alert sirens started to wail and he saw a bright flash followed by a trail of smoke flying up towards them, he knew. Yuke SAMS had joined their heavily armored brethren to offer protection against the four of them, and after diving down low to assess their strength, he noticed they were all rather small, tracked vehicles with only four missile pods on each.

"We've got Gophers! 9k35s! Grimm, Chopper, take care of them and be aware! Nagase, you and I, we're taking out those tanks before they do any serious harm to the terminal, or worse, kill someone!"

"Roger Blaze!"

His three wingmen soon joined him close to the ground, Grimm destroying one of the mobile SAM platforms right next to a C-5. Chopper was right behind him with another pair of kills, a C-5 and a SAM, with a missile fired from another across the tarmac coming close to striking one of his wings and ending his flight early.

Nagase and Blaze on the other hand had to be careful with the T-90s, since whenever they got close to get a missile lock on, a crew member standing through one of the cupolas would fire on them with the mounted AA gun. It wasn't enough though to stop the duo from killing several of the lethal tanks, but their actions weren't enough either to prevent more shells from hitting the airport terminal and causing some serious damage.

"This is the middle of Osea! How can they be attacking here?" questioned Chopper, speaking after being silent for a little while. He dropped a bomb right into a gap between a SAM and a C-5 and the blast knocked out both of them.

"Never mind that, just destroy the tanks. Don't let them cause any more damage here." said the officer from Capital Air Command.

Soldiers that were riding on the backs of some of the tanks hopped off now and made a dash towards the terminal, weaving through the storm of bullets Blaze would send down on them after an attack run on their tanks.

He knew what they were trying to do, and he wasn't going to let them lay a single finger on any citizen inside of the airport. Even then though, the determined Yukes pressed on, and it started to become even more drastic when the tanks sent more shells flying into the terminal.

"Dammit! Control Tower, can you confirm if there are any civilians in the section of the terminal those tanks are driving towards?" he demanded. The control tower operator was quick to comply and after Blaze heard what he needed to here, he turned towards the airport terminal and shook his head while growling.

"I'm sorry for this! Fox two!"

He launched a missile that flew straight and true, smashing into the terminal and causing the whole entryway the tanks were going for to collapse in fire and smoke. Blaze blocked out the cries of terror from the operator, since he knew now that their main entry point was blocked off, the Yukes would have to spend even more time out in the open to find another way in.

Nagase destroyed two more tanks and avoided a missile launched from one of the SAMS by taking a sharp left turn. Blaze caught a glimpse of her maneuvers and smiled at how far she'd come from the rookie he had met the day he came to Sand Island.

Bartlett, if he was here now, Blaze was assured that he would be happy to see Nagase's progress.

"AER Flight 301, ABS Flight 417, landing clearance cancelled. Abort your landing." ordered the control tower operator, attempting to keep the civilians out of the situation.

"This is Flight 417. We've been in holding pattern for hours. We're on emergency fuel." said one of the pilots above the airport. "Give us a break!"

"It's too dangerous. I can't give you clearance to land right now."

"Tell that to my fuel tank. Can't you help us land here?"

"This is OWA 783. We're running out of fuel, too." said another pilot out of worry.

While the pilots up in there air radioed in their concerns the Wardog pilots banded together to successfully take out all of the ground targets, their route of entry into the terminal being blocked by Blaze the trump card that enabled them to do it.

Unfortunately Blaze's hunch about there being more reinforcements was confirmed when more enemy fighters appeared on radar, Terminators again, all colored black to blend in with the night sky. They were quick to attack the fighters before they could reach the terminal and threaten its integrity with their missiles, but in the first few moments of the engagement they still couldn't stop a few that got past.

Luckily they didn't hit their marks and struck the concrete ground several feet away from the control tower and terminal.

"Aren't you listening to me?! This is war here! The flight terminal's getting shot at! Dammit, this is a civilian airport!" shouted the control tower operator, on the verge of a total emotional breakdown.

"Well...then again, we kinda sorta did the same thing to them over in their country…" murmured Chopper under his breath.

"So this is their retaliation for that?" asked Nagase. "Why do people have to be so stupid?!"

"This is war, Nagase. Shit like this happens all the time, and you just have to deal with the people that pull this kind of crap." said Blaze with a snarl, not at her but at the situation. "I hate it too but you just have to learn to get along with it. I saw it for myself at Hoffnung…"

"Whoa, Kid, you were at the bombing of Hoffnung?"

Blaze sighed at Chopper's question and nod his head to himself after downing a Yuke fighter. "Yeah, I was. I'd rather not talk about it though, please."

The conversation ended there and they continued with the operation until the last enemy fighter jet was shot down by Nagase, only for a third wave to appear, this time with dedicated ground attack aircraft supported by more fighters.

The good news was that they weren't Terminators, but the bad news was that they were MiG-31s, which in of itself, the fact they weren't Terminators wasn't really good news at all.

"This is Capital District Air Command. We got word that the enemy special forces unit that gassed Bana is headed for the airport. Stay heads up."

"Dammit! Damn those dirty Yukes!"

The control tower operator had regained some of his composure but was still shaken up as Wardog continued the defense of Apito, each plane they downed a hope would go out that they wouldn't crash onto an occupied home.

"Well, if I'm going to be honest here, where could all of these fighters have come from? Even if they could refuel in the air, fly all the way here and get through our defenses, there's not nearly enough of them to occupy the entire country." stated Chopper before swearing as he avoided a missile. "These guys were on a suicide mission and they knew it. They must really hate us, or else they wouldn't have gone this far."

"Dammit...dammit! The Yuke pigs!"

The entire airport and the radio waves was a whirlwind of emotion, and to Blaze it seemed to all go by in the blink of an eye when the last enemy fighter was finally brought down, its wreck smashing into a part of the airport runway and exploding in a ball of fire.

He was having some minor flashbacks of fire everywhere, but unlike the first few times he'd seen them years before, he was able to keep himself under control.

"Enemy forces annihlated. Airport control tower, what do you say?"

The control tower operator gulped as he wiped sweat off his brow, his hand shivering as he held onto the microphone. "R-Roger...enemy defeat confirmed."

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

The enemy forces that tried to capture Apito International Airport have been destroyed. Hopefully, we'll find out how they managed to infiltrate the airport after we complete our investigation. Additionally, the effects of the chemical attack on the collegetown of Bana are currently subsiding, thanks to the neutralizing agent that was spread. The group that carried out the chemical attack are all but confirmed to be a Yuktobanian special forces commando unit. They were planning to link up with the main force at the airport, but they aborted their plan and slipped away upon hearing that their main force was defeated. The Yuktobanians have defiled our soil. Worse, they tried to destroy a civilian airport. We've got to defeat them, no matter the cost. We'll be sending you back to the front lines of the Yuktobanian mainland. If you all really are innocent, then I hope you can prove it out there on the battlefield.

 **\- Oured, Osea -**

 **\- 2240 hrs -**

Since they couldn't very well return to their base just yet, the four weary pilots were given rooms at a hotel in the capital city to rest their bodies until they would leave the following day.

They guessed Thunderhead had already gone to where he was staying, since he hadn't been with them in the air over Apito acting as their AWACS, and to be perfectly honest it was enough just dealing with the hot mess of emotional outbursts that came from the attack. And with the time they had before it was bedtime, Blaze was in his own room slowly taking off his clothes, wincing a little bit.

" _Even though it's healed...it still stings a little…_ "

He ran a finger over the nasty scar in his abdomen, sighing a little before he heard a knock on his door.

"Uh, yeah? Who is it?"

" _It's Nagase…_ "

Her voice was practically a whisper through the door, and Blaze blinked a little before he grabbed a t-shirt and put it over his body before strolling up to the room door and unlocking it.

"Nagase? What are you still doing up? I figured you'd be in bed by now."

"May I come in...Blaze?" she asked, the tone in her voice enough for Blaze to not argue with her. She was tired, but underneath it he could tell that she was hurting inside, easily because of what had just occurred earlier.

"Oh yeah...sure."  
Blaze stepped aside, holding the door open for her so she could walk into the hotel room. He closed the door once she entered and saw she was carrying a pillow in her hands, and through process of elimination there was only one answer.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"No…" she said quietly, lowering her gaze to her feet.

"Well, I guess if you- oomf."

He rocked forward a little when Nagase had silently walked up to him and hugged him from behind, the pillow still hanging from her right hand while she did. Blaze's eyes widened a little from her warmth breath hitting his upper back and he froze a little, trying to think of what to say to her, but only coming up empty.

"Please...can I sleep with you tonight?"

"...Yeah."


	16. The Four Horsemen of Wardog

A/N Leave a fav and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 14 - The Four Horsemen of Wardog**

 _The demon soars through dark skies_

 _Fear and death trail its shadow beneath_

 _Until men united wield a hollowed sabre_

 _In final reckoning, the beast is slain_

* * *

 **\- Briefing Room, Sand Island -**

 **\- November 7th, 2010 0630 hrs -**

"I will now brief the details of your mission orders. That's all I have to say to you right now people." said Perrault with a scowl painted on his face.

The moment they had arrived back at Sand Island, Pops and the rest of the regular crew and other personnel welcomed them back with open arms. Even Hamilton was pleased to have them back, offering a handshake to all of them and giving them thanks for their work.

The only one who was being crotchety about the whole ordeal was the base commander himself, Perrault even refusing to speak with them until today's briefing for the operation.

"With data gathered from the Arkbird, we have confirmed the existence of a Yuktobanian munitions plant in the arid region of Sonza, and a secret facility in Yuktobania used to store ammunition."

The map zoomed in on Yuktobania, two highlighted points appearing to signify the locations of these two targets.

"According to our information, in Sonza, they have already produced a new shipment of arms, that are about to be airlifted to the front by a squadron of enemy transport aircraft. Carry out an attack on the facility, and keep these transports from making their delivery."

The briefer and Perrault turned to the projector screen as it zoomed in again on the Sonza region and the first target, the munitions factory. Around it were four concentric rings that reminded Blaze of the Akerson Hill SAM defenses, the coverage zones that were on his radar.

"Unfortunately, this factory is well protected by a solid radar network. The network consists of a group of interlinked radar sites. If even one radar site goes offline, the system is designed to immediately report the problem to the factory. However, according to our analysis, if all four radar sites can be destroyed simultaneously, then we'll be able to delay the warning of our attack. Thanks to jamming from our electronic warfare planes, we've just managed to open up an attack corridor to the radar sites. Your squadron will split up and fly four routes, infiltrate the area, synchronize your attacks, and destroy all four radar sites at the same time. This will be your first operation."

"And about the second, sir?" asked Blaze, Perrault snorting as he cleared his throat.

"Mission details for the second operation will be briefed to you en route to the target location, in Duga. Dismissed."

 **\- Waldreich Mountains, Southwestern Nord Belka -**

 **\- 1013 hrs -**

Ever since the nuclear bombs had been dropped on the mountain range in the previous war fifteen years ago, the ominous mountain range had become lifeless and barren, the existence of once rolling green hills and abundant wildlife that populated the range completely void. To this day there are still sections of the mountains that are uninhabitable to humans or animals alike, and that most travel between the former South Belka, now North Osea, and Nord Belka was by air.

That didn't stop, however, a fleet of unmarked military copters from swarming one specific area of the mountain ranges far beyond Stier Castle, going in and out at a steady pace while carrying huge hunks of metal, either intact or twisted.

Within a roaming jetliner that made slow circling passes over the area, since the area they were operating in was not inhabitable, but otherwise dangerous for long term exposure to the radioactive fallout still present. The man with glasses looked out from one of the windows down at the last remnants of the massive wreck that used to lie there, smirking a little to himself.

For ten long years this had been going on undetected, and with it finally done, the final stages of his plan could finally be put into motion to set up for his final trump card.

" _The king and his guardian shall rise once more…_ "

 **\- Sonza, Eastern Yuktobania -**

 **\- 08°15'03"N 111°04'04"E -**

 **\- November 7th, 2010 1130 hrs-**

"Geez, now they got us turning right back into another battle. And this scenery definitely clashes with my Rock n' Roll." wined Chopper as they entered the Sonza region, the rugged desert region passing by beneath them.

With expansive salt flats and low-lying mountain ridges going out for as far as the eye could see, Blaze could understand why this area would be the best place for a secret munitions factory. It was a harsh climate, out of the way, far from prying eyes, and in a place where usually the armies of an enemy nation would least suspect them to be.

But nothing could prevent their eye in the sky from sniffing them out like a bloodhound, the Arkbird's vantage point unmatched by anything Yuktobania could ever hope to achieve.

"Thank goodness there's not really many people to attack out here...in this wasteland…" said Chopper. "I mean look at this place! It's empty as hell!"

"You can say that again. It's way different then Osea, that's for sure." chimed in Grimm.

"Cut the chatter."

Chopper snickered a little at Thunderhead's interjection, the classic, essentially trademarked phrase, of their AWACS.

"And yet this guy's _always_ here…"

"Oh he'll quiet down soon. It wouldn't be a surprise attack if he came along with us."

Chopper and Grimm shared a laugh and up in his 767 Thunderhead himself couldn't hold back a smile, their quips slowly growing on him. But he had a mission to oversee, so it didn't last long and he spoke again to set them straight.

"I repeat, cut the chatter. Synchronize your watches before arrival." he reported, keeping a steady gaze on the clock next to him. "Five seconds to 1130 hours."

Blaze looked over at everyone from right to left, happy to see their F-14s back again after they were forced to used the jets provided to them for the attack in Osea on Apito. He preferred them over the Super Hornets they flew any day. And since this whole operation revolved around ground attacks, they were all flying the F-14B variant since it was better suited for what the mission called for.

"Mark!"

On Thunderhead's words the squadron split up and started on their predetermined flight paths to the first ring of radar stations marked on their radars. This was going to be one of the most tedious and patient operations they have ever been on, and it required the utmost levels of precision and timing to make it succeed.  
Blaze decelerated slightly and began to descend, dropping his altitude little by little to line up for the perfect angle of attack on his designated target.

"Take it away Nagase." he said proudly. "You're in control."

"Thank you Captain."

She took a deep breath to calm herself, her grip on the flight stick lessening as she settled down into the seat. This was something she was ready for, and if Blaze had felt it worthy to put his faith in her, she wouldn't waste it.

"I will begin the countdown to attack in just a moment. We have to destroy the radar right when the count reaches zero. Watch your timing."

Chopper being the man he is, he laughed a little to make a joke out of it, to lighten the mood. "Man. My internal clock's already messed up, and now this?" he laughed again before coughing. "But seriously, Kid, we destroy it together on the count of three, two, one, zero, right?"

"Yes, the timing of the destruction is what we're looking for. Right Nagase?"

"That's right."

They flew down their paths at the same speed, growing ever closer to their targets, the first ring of radar stations. Blaze had halted his descent and flew at a level altitude, some dirt and sand flying in the wind getting on his plane and cockpit glass.

His finger was inches away from the missile fire button, and he was ready to press it at a moment's notice. All he needed was the signal from Nagase.

"Thirty seconds to countdown...and mark!"

"Sorry, sorry, let me make sure one more time. We need to match up the timing of the destruction, not our firing, right?" asked Chopper, Blaze holding in a snicker when he imagine Nagase rolling her eyes.

"Nope."

"Wait, wait, what? Really?"

Grimm laughed at him and Nagase smiled and made a soft laugh, Chopper's confusion always a running gag within their tight knit group.

"I'm joking Chopper." teased Blaze. "You're right."

"Oh, damn you, Man!" exclaimed Chopper before he laughed too.

Jokes aside, Blaze looked at the clock he had in his cockpit and counted the seconds down inside his head, matching it with his approach to the first radar site. Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven, they counted down one by one.

"Ten seconds."

They got close enough they could almost sneeze on the radar sites, their large dishes glistening a little in the late morning sun.  
Nagase leaned forward a little as she held her finger gently against the fire button, initiating the final countdown.

"Five, four, three, two, one, now!"

On the number one all four of them had fired a single missile each, and at the very end of the countdown all four radar sites were taken down perfectly in unison.

The first hurdle had been mounted, and now they had three more rings to take care of before they could finally reach their prize, the munitions factories. There wasn't time to celebrate their first small victory of the day, they had a schedule to keep and with their clocks ticking all at the same time, time was of the essence.

Blaze popped his neck a little and cracked his knuckles as he flew the jet towards his next target, and with the first ring gone, the second one seemed to come a little quicker now. Following the same strategy, and with everyone on the same page, when the time came for them to attack all at once, they perfectly eliminated the radar sites once again.

It was the same story for the third cluster as well, they just had to hurry it along since the intervals were getting even shorter. Once the third cluster was down, it was practically a race to reach the last ring on time.

With nail biting tension in the air, the final countdown begun and on the final number before zero, they fired their missiles and destroyed the radar sites together successfully.

"Radar network penetrated. Proceed to attack the weapons plant."

At the munitions plant itself the Yukes were totally unaware of what happened until they spotted the four fighters heading their way without a friendly IFF. Needless to say, they were scared shitless and the air raid alarms started to go off loudly while they tried to scramble the transport planes as quickly as possible.

" _Damn, they really didn't think this place could be touched...there's barely any defensive emplacements here." thought Blaze as they began their attack. "*Hardly any AA guns, no defense fighters...I feel sorry for these guys._ "

With the munitions plant and its runway completely defenseless, Wardog absolutely wrecked everything inside, much to the dismay of the Yukes stationed there as everything they had built there fell to ruin in a matter of minutes.

The transport planes were destroyed, still parked on the runway, and all of the warehouses, hangars and factories within the complex were left flaming and smoking ruins.

"All targets confirmed destroyed. Picture clear, mission complete. Set course for the Duga Region for your next operation."

 **\- Duga, Southeastern Yuktobania -**

 **\- 02°05'07"S 108°15'16"E -**

 **\- November 7th, 2010 1306 hrs -**

Blaze was a little amazed by the diversity of Yuktobania's climate and environmental regions, it reminded him a lot of Usea. Specifically, Duga's sprawling jungles and foothills, the crisscrossing rivers and wide valleys, combined with numerous mountainous plateaus that stretched high into the air, it brought to memory the Chopinburg Rainforest.

" _At least there isn't any civilian airliners I gotta protect...god that was a pain in my ass._ " he thought with a slight grin. " _Still...it was rather exhilarating, that time._ "

"Yo, hey, Kid."

"Hm? What is it?" Blaze glanced at Chopper's aircraft.

"You said you were at Hoffnung, right? Over Apito?" asked Chopper, his voice rather ambivalent, which was strange. "What was it like…?"

"Why do you want to know, Chopper?" Blaze inquired, cursing himself internally for letting it slip.

Revealing his was at the Bombing of Hoffnung was a rather big hint to his past, if they were to put the puzzle pieces together, but he wasn't going to lay it all out yet. The timing still didn't feel right to him, but if Chopper wanted an answer, he could tell part of the truth.

Blaze just hoped that what he was able to pull out of his ass would be satisfactory for him, as well as Nagase and Grimm, since they were probably wondering too.

"Well...I'm sure you three must have learned about it one way or another, but...being there was an experience." stated Blaze, clearing his throat. "To give you a comparison, what the Yukes did to Bana City with the chemical agent, or trying to invade the airport, in my opinion...it doesn't compare."

"What happened? All I know is that Osean bombers did most of the work. I can't really remember very well what happened…" recalled Grimm, only to get a small chuckle of lament.

"History is written by the victors, never by the losers, Grimm." remarked Blaze. "Yeah, Osean bombers were the main attack force, but the only damage they did was to the industrial complexes and factories outside the city. I bet your teachers never openly told you about how the Belkans razed their own city to the ground."

Nagase made an audible gasp over the radio while Chopper's mouth dropped open, and Grimm was left in silent awe. Blaze waited for it to set in, since he didn't to pound this information into them, not really pausing for dramatics.

"What's worse is that the Belkans did it with the people of Hoffnung still there...they didn't even evacuate the city. They gladly sacrificed their own people just to prevent the city from falling to the Allies…"

"Jesus…" Chopper said perplexed. "I knew the Belkans were crazy, but...damn, man…"

"It makes you understand why they detonated those nukes, huh…?" murmured Grimm. "They were willing to make sacrifices the entire time."

Blaze's expression was blank and devoid of any emotion, while his heart twisted itself around into a knot inside of his chest.

He had always hated recalling those memories, because he wished he could just flush them out of his head and forget that he was ever there in the first place. Blaze closed his eyes and instead of darkness, all he saw was an entire city engulfed in flames, and the sight of people waving their arms and crying out for help as the building they stood on burned beneath their feet.

Blaze finally opened his eyes when he heard a distant voice call out to him, and the darkness and fire and cries went away in a heartbeat, the usual sounds of the cockpit returning.

"Huh? What did you say?"

"So...where were you in that, Kid?"

Remembering his promise to himself to tell some of the truth, he took a breath. "I...was in the air. I was one of the pilots...that protected those bombers."

"Whoa! Shut up, Kid! Really?!"

"So...you were-" said Nagase before he stopped speaking, unable to even formulate the words.

"Yeah...I...I was one of the mercenary pilots from Ustio." revealed Blaze with a little bit of a laugh. "That's why I like to stick to my callsign, since I don't really people wanting to know too much about me…"

"Blaze, we…"

Their radios beeped and they had to quickly switch back to the main channel they used with Thunderhead, resuming their conversation from earlier that they were having.

"...I'm just glad they're not ordering us to attack a city in retaliation for _their_ retaliation." smiled Grimm, trying to lighten up the mood a bit.

"You're a real optimist, you know that?" chuckled Chopper, wanting to move on too. "Sheesh!"

"This is Thunderhead. Cut the chatter." he snapped rather sharply. He hadn't been very chatty, despite being on their side when it came to what happened in Yuktobania in regards to the engineering college that was attacked.

Although Blaze assumed it was because like them he's been stuck in his own aircraft for a while now and it was probably making him cranky. But, of course, Chopper had to push the envelope a little bit more then what was needed.

"Oh I just wish I could fly _somewhere_ where I didn't have to listen to that voice."

He snickered silently to himself and Blaze rolled his eyes, glancing up into the sky where he knew Thunderhead would be. Blaze could practically feel the animosity oozing from their AWACS, so instead of adding to it he just let it lie.

Especially since Chopper's partner in crime responded for him.

"You did 'till yesterday." replied Grimm with a smile.

"I repeat, cut the chatter." emphasized Thunderhead. "You'll be arriving at your second target area shortly. I will now brief you on your mission details."

Like the day they assisted the Kestrel in her escape from St. Hewlett, Thunderhead provided them with a data link that threw them right into an in-flight briefing that appeared on a screen in their HUDs.

"A secret facility was discovered in this region of Yuktobania, around the same time the munitions factory you destroyed earlier. This facility is massive and contains enough ammunition to supply a Yuktobanian ground division for a week of combat operations. Destroy this stockpile and cut off their front-line ammunition supply. Note that we've been getting a lot of attacks from soldiers hiding in the dense jungles with shoulder-mounted SAMs."

A miniature map of the Duga region appeared, matching the image they had on their radars, and several white dots appeared on the screen to signify the locations of these soldiers.

"Take these locations with a grain of salt, however. These soldiers are highly mobile, and they are very hard to detected from the air, so stay heads up for sudden attack from those missiles when flying at low altitude."

The briefing ended and the data link was withdrawn, their HUDs clearing up.

"Alright everyone, get yourself ready. We're not leaving until the entire depot is destroyed."

Meanwhile at the depot itself, it was the status quo among the personnel, they hadn't learned yet about the destruction of the munitions plant in Sonza yet. They had transport copters ready at the distribution centers to take ammunition to their forces across the country, and as far as they knew, the ammo dump hadn't been discovered by Osean forces because it was kept rather well hidden.

The tunnels were hidden with jungle camo nets so that they were harder to spot in the air, and at night all external light sources that were used at the tunnel entrances were extinguished to ensure nothing could give away their position.

Despite all of these precautions, however, it was their own pilots flying the very helicopters they used to transport their ammunition that gave away their position. The Arkbird, high up in the sky in its perch over the world, had used its impressive observation technology to track the helicopters from their destinations all the way back to Duga, and had pinpointed the location of the rumored *Samizdat.

Within the central command center of the armor, Yuktobanian officers were busy watching over the many monitors linked to the camera system laid out throughout the armory, looking over everything to ensure nothing was wrong.

Another section was responsible for looking over the radar, keeping track of all air traffic in the area and ensuring that anything that passed through was Yuktobanian. If there were anything not friendly, they had two protocols. One was to hide all evidence of the armory and ensure that they wouldn't be able to find any traces of it, or scramble their defense fighters to shoot down the enemy planes.

They hadn't had to use the second, more risky option yet, since they were so good and covering their tracks. They practiced it nonetheless, and they were in the middle of one such drill, their defense fighters out and about over the area patrolling the skies as if there were enemy jets.

"How does the radar look?"

The commander of the ammo dump leaned over the shoulder of one of his men, speaking in his native language. The officer glanced back at him and replied back nothing had changed since their fighters had gone up.

That changed when two of their fighters suddenly vanished off their radar, their signatures replaced by four that quickly sped into the area.

"Enemy fighters on radar!" shouted the commander as he rushed to the PA system. "Commence Protocol One!"

A brief secondary announcement came later after the primary one and the entire armory went into the familiar process of silencing everything. They watched the radar closely in the command room, watching the four blips ping across the radar, having slowed down now after shooting down their two fighters.

It was a tense few seconds as they waited to see what would happen, before their hopes of escaping yet another search were shattered when through an unknown phenomenon they heard a voice come through on one of the radio stations inside.

"The actual armory is located within the mountains in this area. To cause damage, you have to fire missiles into the tunnels scattered throughout the canyons to destroy them from the inside."

It was an almost instantaneous reaction. The commander slammed his fist down onto the alarm button and he snatched the PA system microphone away from the person in charge of it, making the announcement himself for the whole armory to go on high alert and for the rest of the defense fighters to take off.

In the dense jungles the roaming squads of elite Varyag soldiers also got the alert and heard the alarm as well, the men getting their weapons ready for the approaching enemy.

"Here we go people, you know the drill. Let's raise some hell!" laughed Blaze as they flew down into the first valley on approach to the deepest part of the jungle.

The operational area consisted of a series of wide river valleys and the mountainous plateaus, and thanks to the Arkbird providing the preliminary data before the operation, Thunderhead was able to give them proper target documentation.

The amount of tunnels was staggering, which only provided them a mere hint as to how large the ammo dump was.

"Remember, be careful of sudden attacks from the jungle by enemy special forces. They will be the most dangerous when you're on your attack run for one of the tunnels."

"Roger Captain."

"You'd think they'd have more defenses at a place this important." remarked Chopper before he ate his own words. "Oh, whoops, spoke too soon. Enemy fighters, Kid!"  
Blaze glanced at his radar and he guessed they took off from a runway somewhere in the jungle they hadn't seen yet, the Su-27s bearing down on them rather quickly.

With quick thinking he and Nagase rose up from the jungle to engage the fighters, giving cover for Grimm and Chopper to start attacking he ammo dump tunnels as well as other miscellaneous facilities that were parts of it, like transport bridges from one plateau to the other.

As Chopper dove down to attack one of the tunnels his plane's alert sirens screamed into his ears and he narrowly avoided a missile from the jungle to his left, the distraction just in time to have to make him abort the attack run and try again.

"Dammit! Those shoulder mounted SAMs suck!" he complained. "I can't even see them on radar!"

"This is Thunderhead, our search radar is clean. We can't see the launchers." informed their AWACS, who seemed to have lightened up a little."

"I've got you! Fox two!"

Grimm came right behind Chopper on the same vector he was on and fired a single missile skillfully into the mouth of the tunnel, Yuke officers diving out of the way to avoid getting hit.

The missile struck an organized pile of artillery shells and the whole subsection went up in an explosion that rocked the earth and made the jungle trees sway and shake violently.

"Whoa! I felt that from here!"

With the first tunnel down, and Blaze and Nagase taking care of the fighters in a matter of moments, the four of them went to town on the practically defenseless ammo dump.

While they went around outside however, they were relatively unaware at first at what was going on inside the various sub-divisions and sections of the ammo dump.

"Tunnel One took a direct hit! The artillery shells have gone off and the entire room is up in flames!"

The command center was utterly hectic and Yuke soldiers and officers were going back and forth from station to station, shouting and yelling orders in Yuke to the personnel in other parts of the ammo dump.

There was ammunition to move around in an attempt save them, there was people trying to get others out of areas that were in danger of getting attacked. What's worse is that they had no idea which part of the ammo dump would come under attack next, which made the mood all the more scarier.

"Send out some of the Shilkas to try and shoot down those fighters! We can't let them-"

He was stopped when the radio exploded with chatter and screams after another tunnel got hit, one of the cameras going dark and turning to static.

"Tunnel Ten just got annihilated! That's where the mortar shells are stored, get everyone out of there quick!"

At the section of the dump where the tunnel had been hit two men snagged a fire hose off the wall and traveled down a short tunnel before arriving at the storage room, one guy blasting the fire that had started inside while a third coughed and wheezed as he tried to get as many people out of there.

The heat was overwhelming, and their efforts were valiant, but it came to naught when the flames started to set off the mortar shells like it was a new year's eve party. Pops and bangs resonated off the walls and explosions went off this way and that, and it got so bad they had to just abandon the whole room and get away.

One of the men smacked his hand against a wall intercom, pressing the button to activate it and he started to shout in it as the mortar shell room continued to explode.

"It's no use, it's gotten out of control! We have to quarantine this area!"

"Just get it done! We have to-"

The men in the control room cringed when a devastating explosion erupted from the speakers, followed by the screams of their fellow country men and the one who was speaking to them.

They didn't even have time to grieve the casualties they already knew had just been made because another part of the dump just got struck, and the situation got even worse.

"Missile hit! Tunnel Three is in flames!"

"Oh no, room temperature rising! The ammo's going to start going off by itself!"

It was utter chaos within the ammo dump, and after Nagase fired a missile into another tunnel Blaze could actually hear the explosions and ammunition going off inside the various parts scattered through the plateaus.

Flames began shooting out of tunnels that were hit and Blaze gave the order to pull off from the attack, the damage had already been done and what followed next would be entirely out of their control.

"Damn...they must really have a lot of ammo in there…" murmured Grimm.

"Yeah…"

The commanding officer of the ammo dump was faced with an increasingly more and more difficult decision as the situation melted all around him. People were dying left and right inside of the rapidly self-destructing ammo dump, and the chance to send what was already loaded off was growing slimmer and slimmer.

"Dammit all!"

He slammed his fist down on the desk, his outburst momentarily drawing everyone's attention inside the control center to him. The man gave them all a silent look of mixed emotions before he stood back up and started to pack things up, urging everyone to do the same.

"It's over, evacuate all personnel. Recall the Varyag teams and get the hell out of here!" he bellowed. "There's nothing else we can do!"

Those under him were quick to follow his orders and soon enough the entire ammo dump, or what was left of it at least, was in full-scale evacuation mode. Vehicles started rolling out from still surviving tunnels, escaping into the dense jungle around them, with the Varyag teams moving out from their positions as well to meet up with them.

"Captain, I'm detecting several transport helicopters taking off from the ammo dump. Should we intercept?" questioned Grimm.

"No, leave them be. The damage has already been done, we've accomplished our mission."

Right when he said that another devastating explosion shook the ammo dump to its very core and a huge plume of smoke and fire shot out from a pair of tunnels they hadn't even fired at,

The strange phenomenon where their radios managed to catch the words of their enemies occurred once again, and once it did, they were given a backseat view into just what kind of hell was going on hidden from view.

"The fire's spread too far! It's out of control!"

"Get outta there, you're gonna get fried!"

Another explosion along with the loud roar of fire was then heard and Blaze's entire body shivered as the flashbacks started to appear again. He closed his eyes shut and attempted to block out the noise, but with it being shouted right into his ears it was impossible.

The other three pilots were rather shaken too, Nagase, after removing her oxygen mask, covered her mouth in horror while Chopper and Grimm were just speechless.

"The fire crew's all been wiped out! We're trapped in here! Help, help, somebody help us!"

"Whoa...uh, I didn't think it blow up that bad..." worried Chopper as he glanced down at the jungle. "It must be...pretty bad in there…"

Fortunately for them, that was the last transmission they got from the Yukes inside of the ammo dump before everything went silent. The bad news was that hearing just those slivers had done enough damage to really affect them, Blaze having the worst reaction to it out of them.

He kept it to himself though while the other's spoke for him, and he liked to think that Nagase could tell that something was wrong with him, since she took the lead.

"Mission accomplished, let's go home." she said, sounding a little half-hearted.

"Nagase…" said Chopper in a rare, gentle sounding tone.

"Hm?"

"You gotta say that with a little more feeling." He took one glance back at the jungle. "At least...we get to go home today, right?"

"Yeah…"

Nagase lowered her head and took a heavy breath to reset herself internally. It had already felt like it had been a long day, and there was still half the day remaining after finishing two operations back to back.

"So...cheer up a little, will you?"

"You too Chopper."

"Yeah...I know." replied Chopper with a little smile.

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

The Yuktobanian munitions factory was destroyed, and the weapons inside the transport planes were eliminated, as well as the targeted ammunition stockpile facility. With these operations, we have succeeded in dealing a severe blow to the enemy's weapons production effort and cut off one of the lifelines of the Yuktobanian army. Yuktobania's weapons development capability will now be lagging considerably behind Osea, and their ability to conduct operations will be reduced across the entire nation.


	17. Demons of Razgriz

A/N Leave a fav and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 15 - Demons of Razgriz**

 _The demon soars through dark skies_

 _Fear and death trail its shadow beneath_

 _Until men united wield a hollowed sabre_

 _In final reckoning, the beast is slain_

* * *

 **\- Razgriz Straits, North of Anea -**

 **\- November 13th, 2010 0756 hrs -**

Cold. Barren. Lifeless.

These were only some of the words that could describe the entirely different world that resided just below the arctic circle, north of the Anean continent. These ice frozen waterways, impassable to any large ships unless they were ice breakers, were rather famous around the world for the legend inspired by them.

Or, it could be infamous too, since the legend it's apart of is one of a dark demon known as Razgriz. The Razgriz Straits, as they were known, have long been thought of as the home of the demon from this legend, which had been incorporated within a well-known fairy tail called "A Blue Dove for the Princess".

However, that legend was about to become very very real. For a long time, Yuktobania had kept the wool pulled over their enemy's eyes about their submarines, the Scinfaxi-class, despite their enemy knowing of its existence, and when they chose to reveal it in the war they weren't prepared for the Arkbird to assist in its destruction.

They lost the Scinfaxi, the submarine they publicized to the world years before the war actually broke out, and it seemed like there would never again be a threat from a submarine capable of such devastation with its weapons system.

This was where they had laid to rest their secret weapon, an actual Demon of Razgriz that had been waiting for this day to finally show its teeth. The Osean army had begun its push into Yuktobania, trying to make it all the way to the capital of Cinigrad to bring the war to a swift close. This weapon's purpose was to prevent that from happening, and to drive the Oseans all the way back to the beach they had first landed on, and off their country.

And it was perfectly equipped to do so. From over seven hundred miles away, a plume of water shot up from the icy straits as a burst missile launched from the water for its intended target.

 **\- Briefing Room, Sand Island -**

 **\- November 14th, 2010 0812 hrs -**

Despite the hectic mood among the staff at Sand Island, the start of the briefing for Wardog had been delayed. But he weary pilots, knowing full well that they'd have to force their exhausted bodies back into the air once the order was given, weren't the slightest bit disturbed by the delay. They actually secretly cherished the small break, since it allowed them to think and be one with their thoughts and with one another outside of flying in formation.

Grimm and Chopper had pulled up two chairs and were using a third as a makeshift table for the card game they were playing, and Nagase had her legs crossed as she worked on filling in her story book. The only odd one out was Blaze, who was sitting in his chair slumped over slightly, awkwardly twiddling his thumbs.

"Ah dammit! You beat me!" swore Chopper as he threw his cards down on the chair. "How are you this good?!"

Grimm laughed a little at Chopper's dismay after rounding up the cards. "Beginner's luck I'd say."

"Beginner's luck my ass!"

Chopper laughed with Grimm before he noticed Blaze's awkward positioning and he tapped Grimm on the shoulder, who looked at him too and smiled.

"Captain?"

"Huh, what?" Blaze glanced at Grimm and Chopper. "What is it?"

"You look a little uncomfortable over there. Is something wrong?"

Grimm kept smiling as he dug into his pocket and then tossed Blaze what was inside, Blaze catching it and after feeling the slightly warm metal and circular shape he opened his hand and gasped.

"My coin! Where do you find it?" he exclaimed.

"I picked it up when you dropped it after we got our new planes, Captain." said Grimm. "I would have given it back sooner but I honestly forgot, with all of the missions and what happened over Apito."

Blaze returned the warm smile back to the younger pilot and clapped him a little on the back. "No worries Grimm, I appreciate it."

Chopper laughed again before he took the cards from Grimm since it was his turn to deal them out, and once it was done the two pilots started another game together on the chair. Blaze leaned back in his seat and grinned as he flipped his favorite coin around again, looking content now with it back in his possession.

Meanwhile Nagase had stopped writing and was tapping the end of her pencil against her lip, deep in thought on what came next in the story. Blaze could see the cogs and gears turning in her head and he stopped flipping her coin, leaning over to take a glance.

"That's your book that you're always writing in, right?"

Nagase nod her head. "I just can't remember this next phrase…"

"May I see?" asked Blaze nicely with a smile, Nagase looking to him. "If you wouldn't mind, Nagase."

"Oh...not at all, Blaze." She had to hide the slight bit of warmth in her cheeks as she held her book out a little more for him to see, the two of them looking together.

"'A Blue Dove for the Princess…' wait a minute, I've heard of this before…" murmured Blaze as he thought about the name for a few moments.

"...The princess couldn't feed the dove that day, she was too sick...ah!"

Nagase smiled as she scribbled down the note on the side, and from that she properly filled in the correct lines for the story,

"Razgriz…" said Chopper in recognition of the title. "Hey, the Demon or Razgriz got her, right?"

"You know the story?" asked Nagase astonished.

Chopper grinned when it was his turn to boast about something the others didn't know about. "Yeah, the Demon from the North Sea!" he exclaimed. "I remember, my grandma used to tell me bedtime stories about it. And every time she did, I'd be too scared to go the bathroom in the middle of the night."

Blaze grew a wide smile and laughed along with Grimm and Chopper, while Nagase laughed and made a small little giggle too. When they all realized they each had something to like and say about the popular fairy tale, they began a conversation about it with Nagase as the centerpiece, being that she was the most knowledgeable one about it.

Gennette, who happened to walk by, came in with a smile and a wave, the journalist joining the conversation since he knew about the fairy tale too, and the legend it inspired.

When history witnesses a great change, Razgriz reveals itself...first as a dark demon. As a demon, it uses its power to rain death upon the land, and then it dies. However, after a period of slumber, Razgriz returns.

The moment of respite they all desperately needed didn't last for long however, only a few minutes after Gennette had walked in Hamilton, Perrault, their briefer, and a new officer dressed in full uniform walked in. None of them recognized the fourth man and when he questioned Gennette about who he was, Hamilton vouched for him and said that he could stay for the briefing.

"Ahem, people-"

"Excuse me, Colonel. This is an absolutely vital mission to us. As the staff advisor sent from Central Command for this effort, I'd like to explain it myself." interrupted the new officer.

Perrault glanced at the man with a hint of annoyance for his rather rude interruption, but he made a gruff snort noise with his nostrils and settled back with his hands across his chest. Taking that as a confirmation from the base commander for him to continue, the man took a step forward and took off his cap, holding it under his arm as he introduced himself.

"My name's Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell, and the Osean Army is planning a vast offensive with the ultimate objective of occupying the capital of Yuktobania. If this operations succeeds, it will end the war in very short order. However, the Yuktobanians have attacked our beachhead with ballistic missiles fired from the Hrimfaxi, a _Scinfaxi_ -class submersible carrier stationed in the icy waters of the Razgriz Straits."

The four pilots froze up and Mitchell's voice seemed to fade away for a moment when the name struct a tender chord inside of their hearts, bringing back some painful memories they wished to forget.

The Scinfaxi had been a terror to fight, especially when it took down all of the rookie pilots with them in the blink of an eye. And taking down the last missile it fired had nearly cost Blaze his life, he had the scars to prove it, so hearing there was a sister ship to the monstrous sub was a real shocker.

"Fortunately, our ground forces had already completed attack preparations, so despite the missile attack the offensive began as planned." continued Mitchell as the operation area appeared on the projector screen. "Nevertheless, we must neutralize the threat of another Hrimfaxi missile attack on our ground forces."

Mitchell then stepped aside to allow the briefer to take control of the rest, Blaze shaking his head to get rid of the flashbacks and focused instead on the screen. The section of the Razgriz straits where the Hrimfaxi was located at consisted of mainly the ice sheets that covered the straits year round, as well as a small arctic lake next to an unknown landmass.

He assumed the Arkbird must have gotten the information, since this is far beyond the range of intelligence gathering they could have gotten. Wait, the Arkbird! Blaze's spirits lifted incredibly high when he thought of the majestic white bird, and figured that surely it would be able to assist them again in taking it down.

"We have a single chance to stage a successful air attack on the underwater carrier Hrimfaxi. Our passive sonar has detected a transport submarine that we believe is headed for the Hrimfaxi." the briefer motioned to an indicated submarine on the screen moving upwards toward the Anean continent. "We believe the transport sub's mission is to supply the Hrimfaxi with missiles."

"Based on its course and speed, we've calculated nits rendezvous time with the Hrimfaxi. By amazing coincidence, it is precisely the same time as the zero hour of our ground attack. At this time, the Hrimfaxi will have to surface to restock its missiles. At that exact moment, ingress at low altitude to avoid detection, launch a surprise attack, and sink the Hrimfaxi. Once surfaced, it only takes the Hrimfaxi one minute to rig for an emergency dive. If your approach is detected, you will only have one minute to complete your attack on the Hrimfaxi."

Blaze had whispered to Chopper, Grimm and Nagase that they didn't have to worry so much this time around, because he was sure they would have the Arkbird as support once more.

His words did help them relax and show their confidence again, but what Mitchel told them after the briefer was done completely shattered this idea.

"Now, keep in mind, there won't be any support from the Arkbird this time around. Her laser systems were sabotaged from a recent SSTO launched to the satellite, so it will be unable to support you. This mission rests solely on your shoulders. The entire ground offensive is relying on this first surprise attack, so don't disappoint us. I want you to turn the ice Razgriz Straits into the enemy's graveyard!"

The officers then left them and Gennette was left with the four dumbstruck pilots, who were still trying to process the realization that it would really just be them. Four pilots against a submarine capable of wiping out entire fleets of ships and squadrons of jets in the blink of an eye.

He was about to say something to cheer them up before Blaze took a deep breath and stood up, turning towards his wingmen and grinning.

"Bah, who needs the Arkbird anyways? We've been through enough that some submarine doesn't scare us. And besides, we've sunk the Scinfaxi! Or you guys did at least."  
"But Kid, that was with the Arkbird." Chopper stood up too. "How the hell are we gonna damage that big of a sub?"

"Chopper, trust me. We can do this."

Blaze then led the four of them out of the room to go and get ready to take off for the operation that, little did they would, would become one of the most defining moments of their careers and propel them into a new position of fame.

 **\- Razgriz Straits, North of Anea -**

 **\- 64°12'33"N 97°05'03"E -**

 **\- November 14th, 2010 1559 hrs -**

"Wardog, stay at low altitude and fly towards the submarine fleet." ordered Thunderhead. "You are restricted from flying above one thousand feet. We can't risk our surprise attack detected."

They had gone with fully loaded F-14Bs again to give them the best possible chance of damaging the Hrimfaxi enough for it to sink, and even with that and the plan Blaze had, they still felt apprehension to the coming battle.

The four of them were going to be taking on the pride of the Yuktobanian Navy, their most powerful enemy yet. There was no white bird of protection above them this time. This was going to be their defining moment, one that seperates the men from the boys, or girl from the women in Nagase's case.

"I'm getting chills." shivered Chopper. "This northern sea is where the Demon of Razgriz came from…"

"Razgriz…" Nagase trailed off, the legend obviously getting to her too.

"Eheh...there's no way that could've been the Razgriz." chuckled Chopper. "...Right?"

"Hold your chatter. Commencing radio communication out procedures shortly. Maintain radio silence." said Thunderhead before he went silent.

"Guess I'll try talkin' to myself…" Chopper switched his radio off as well, Grimm and Nagase doing the same thing. Blaze was already silent, so it wasn't hard to go silent on his end as well and leave himself with his thoughts.

After talking with Nagase earlier in the day when they were waiting for the briefing to start, he was told all about the legend since it was something he actually didn't know all about. Now that he did, and now that he was out here in this barren wasteland, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

Blaze never believed in the supernatural, but there was just something about a Demon that could devastation and death correlating with the submarine they were going to try and sink being capable of that. When he found himself sweating a little he couldn't actually believe it that much considering the Hrimfaxi doesn't even come close to what he's seen before, when he was younger.

" _Maybe I am getting too old for this…_ "

As they flew across the ice sheets, he glanced down at his radar and kept an eye on the approaching ring of submarines that acted as the bodyguards and early warning system for the Hrimfaxi.

If they wanted to get to the main prize, they had to sneak their way past these first. He hoped that by flying at an extremely low altitude it would make it more difficult for them to be detected. The seconds ticked by painfully slow as they continued their approach, the dead silence making it all the more tense.

Blaze brought his eyes up and gazed out from the cockpit to a nearby clearance in the ice and spotted one of the submarines poking out of the water, sitting idly there like an unmoving guardian to some ancient treasure. He was half-expecting the submarine to open fire on them with missiles or something, but as they passed by it without any interference, he believed they had pierced the net and were well on their way to totally surprise their target.

Blaze's radio then garbled strangled as it came back on and Mitchell's, the man having come with Thunderhead inside of his 767 to directly observe the battle, voice came through it.

"This is Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell, the advisor to Central Command. That submarine just sent off an enemy detection notice. The Hrimfaxi's going to dive in one minute! Attack immediately!"

"Hey, our cover's blown anyway. I'm gonna start talking now!"

Chopper pulled his oxygen mask on, as did the rest of them as they gunned it towards the Hrimfaxi as fast as they could to make it within the one minute time limit.

Meanwhile the Yuke submarine's captain received the advanced warning from their allied submarine who detected Wardog and he quickly halted all resupply operations, the sailors from the submarine pulled up next to them totally unprepared for the situation and freeing like a deer in headlights before they pushed back over and woken from their stupor.

The Hrimfaxi's crew got to work preparing the submarine to dive while the second submarine powered up their own engines to get their craft moving in the water away from the Hrimfaxi.

"Thirty seconds to Hrimfaxi dive." informed Thunderhead with a glance at a watch on his wrist. Blaze funned the throttle forward as far as it could go and soared out in front of his wingmen, his gaze locked onto the fast approaching Hrimfaxi.

He got there within just the nick of time and dropped two bombs onto the hull of the Hrimfaxi, the hunks of metal clearly damaging something internally because the entire ship rocked from the explosion. When the smoke cleared Blaze looked back to see if he had pierced the hole and while he did see a darkened sore on the sleek metal body, he was disappointed to see it hadn't done anything physically.

The submarine dived right then afterwards, seemingly slipping away into the water, and in his anger Blaze turned his attention to the retreating submarine and destroyed it with several missiles to the hull.

"The bastard dived! Dammit!" Chopper and the others then arrived on the scene and began to circle the air with Blaze, eyes glued on the water where the Hrimfaxi had dived.

"This is Submarine Squadron Command. The enemy is undertaking a large-scale offensive. Attack the enemy forces with long-range missiles from the Hrimfaxi. Urgent! Transmitting target coordinates."

The Hrimfaxi's captain snatched the communications responder from the officer in charge of the station within the command bridge and clicked the button, hunching over a little.

"This is Hrimfaxi. We cannot comply, we're unable to launch missiles underwater due to battle damage." he responded, taking his finger off the button.

"What's the point of your existence if you do not fire now?! They're penetrating our defense lines as we speak! Hurry up before they overrun our allies!" snapped back the voice from the other end. The captain growled as he handed the responder back to the officer he took it from and stood up to his full height, the crew around him awaiting his orders as he sat down in the captain's chair.

"Emergency surface! Grab onto something! Once we break the surface, launch the missiles and unmanned drones!"

The crew quickly complied and the massive ballast tanks of the submarine were rapidly emptied out, the submarine soaring up through the water towards the surface at a quick pace.

"The Hrimfaxi's surfacing!" warned Nagase when she saw the water bubble and churn where it had dove. A few moments later the massive nose of the ship burst upward in a brilliant display of water that was flung out in all directions, until the massive submarine had fully surfaced and rest on the surface.

A split second later a torrent of fire emerged from one of its silos as it launched a burst missile towards mainland Yuktobania while from where its internal hangar used to be, there was a launch that catapulted out several UCAVs that featured a unique geometric airframe with three wings, two regular and a central dorsal wing.

Immediately after the aircraft launched, dozens of Kashtan CIWS platforms revealed themselves from the hull of the Hrimfaxi, all of them coming online and pointing towards the sky for the Wardog pilots.

"Chopper, Grimm, you take out those UAVs! We can't have them hounding us!"

"Roger, Kid!"

He and Grimm rose up to engage the enemy drone aircraft, and already they were in for a fight of their lives because of their aggressive airframes making them incredibly hard to follow and take down.

Meanwhile, per their usual, Blaze and Nagase formed up and began their first attack run on the bristling Hrimfaxi, its computer operated defenses opening up on them with a hailstorm of bullets. Nagase grunted when she felt a small part of her jet get riddled with holes before she and Blaze let go of the first pair of bombs, pulling off just as several locked on missiles were fired at them.

"Shit, that thing is fierce!" cursed Blaze when his plane rattled after getting hit by the AA guns as well.

Their bombs struck the hull of the Hrimfaxi just below the first set of defensive weapons, consuming them in smoke while failing to damage or destroy them. Blaze cursed at the mess up and avoided the missiles fired at him from the Hrimfaxi, Nagase doing the same.

"Damn these bastards move quick! But...they can't...run away from us!" laughed Chopper after finally shooting down the last drone, freeing them to join Blaze and Nagase.

They quickly formed up to attack the Hrimfaxi together, but before they could the Hrimfaxi performed a rapid crash dive, its giant hull slipping into the water out of danger. Nagase made a clucking noise with her tongue in disappointment as they waited for the sub to resurface, ready to attack it as soon as it did.

"This is Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell, we're getting your info real-time from Thunderhead's AWACS. Time your attacks to hit the Hrimfaxi when it surfaces. There is a delay between when it surfaces and when its defensive weapons emerge from its hull, around five seconds. Destroy the armaments, and sink it before it deals any damage to our ground forces!"

"Roger! Got that everyone?"

His wingmen confirmed and they circled close to the water's surface, in heavy anticipation for the Hrimfaxi. Not even a minute passed by from Mitchell's transmission that Chopper was already shouting for the submarine to surface.

Within the submarine itself the crew were flying like bees inside of their hive, prepping the next wave of Cormorant drones for launch as soon as they surfaced and locking in the coordinates for their next burst missile attack.

"We're locked on sir!"

"Good. Teach them a lesson. We're going to take down every single one of them." ordered the Captain grimly as the submarine began to rise up to the surface once again.

"What a bunch of idiots. They think they're heroes or something."

The Hrimfaxi violently broke the surface once again and after settling on the surface of the water, the crew launched the drones as usual, but what they weren't ready for was Blaze and his wingmen already attacking them within milliseconds of their nose emerging. All four pilots dropped their payload just as the doors opened to roll out their defensive weapons and their bombs caused extensive damage, several of Kashtan CIWS systems getting destroyed.

The bombs were even able to harm some of the interior workings and electronics for the machines used to retract the weapons into the hull, leaving a few stuck out in the open.

"Yeah, we damaged it!" exclaimed Grimm victoriously. The small victory was pushed aside when the Hrimfaxi fired another burst missile and the pilots had to quickly evade an incoming storm of bullets and several missiles launched at them from the killer submarine.

Nagase deployed some countermeasures to get a couple missiles off her tail before automatically turning to engage the hostile drones with Grimm, Blaze not even having to give any orders for them to know what to do. The Cormorant drones gave Nagase and Grimm a run for their money but even with their advanced mobility, they couldn't stand up to their superior human counterparts and were eventually shot down.

Luckily Blaze and Grimm were able to reach the Hrimfaxi before it submerged again and traded more holes in their planes as well as a close call with a missile to deliver another strike with their bombs on the Hrimfaxi, destroying practically all of its defensive emplacements along the left side of its aft dorsal part of its hull.

The vessel shook as it dove beneath the water to re-arm itself, the captain giving quick orders to seal off the weapons bay sections of the ship due to water flooding in through the jammed open doors meant to close when the weapons retracted. After the drones and burst missile were ready they surfaced again and launched them both simultaneously, while the remaining Kashtans opened fire on the Wardog pilots, leaning from their previous attack and causing damage to Grimm's aircraft, causing one of the engines to sputter and trail smoke.

"Captain! My plane's suffered critical engine damage! I can keep her up but it will be hard to maneuver!"

"Stay out of the fight Grimm! We'll cover you!" ordered Nagase as she flew to his side, protecting him from the drones. Chopper shot down one as well while Blaze gunned it for the Hrimfaxi, grinning when the Kashtans tried and failed to shake him off when he went right for the port side, where there was nothing preventing him from attacking.

"Fox two, fox two!" He shouted, firing a pair of missiles and dropping the last of his bombs directly onto one of the destroyed gun emplacements.  
The missiles tore through the machinery and cleared a path for the bombs to penetrate into the hull of the Hrimfaxi and detonate, devastating the interior and severely damaging one of its ballast tanks to the point it had to be closed off, making it incapable of taking in water or air to allow it to submerge or dive.

The damage came when the Hrimfaxi was in the middle of its own dive, and only half of the hull had sunk when Blaze dealt the harsh blow to the thought unsinkable sub.

"Ballast tanks damaged, unable to submerge Captain!" bellowed a crew member as warning bells rang loudly inside of the Hrimfaxi.  
The damage control team was rapidly deployed to see to the problem as parts of the ship started to flood slightly, the captain gnawing his teeth angrily before banging his fist against the arm of his chair.

"Dammit! All this damage from four planes?!" he cursed.

"Are the Oseans using some kind of black magic?!"

"Forget it!" bellowed the captain, bringing his hectic crew under control. "We'll just have to deal with them above the surface!"

The Hrimfaxi then surfaced and Blaze pumped his fist when he realized his strike was successful, the last Cormorant drone going down in flames at the same time. After a few moments another small tower of flame emerged from the Hrimfaxi's hull when it fired a burst missile, the weapon soaring high into the air at a rapid speed.

"Hrimfaxi launching burst missile." informed Thunderhead, his craft's advanced tracking systems calculating the launch angle and projected strike zone in a matter of moments. "Wardog, it's heading your way! Climb! Get above five thousand feet!"

"Shit! We gotta move!" Blaze cursed as he stopped his attack run and made a sharp turn to the left, grunting when he passed over to the starboard side of the Hrimfaxi and suffered more damaged to his Tomcat.

His teeth chattered as he regained control and began to climb up with his squadron, Grimm pushing his damaged aircraft as much as he could within what it could take.

"Five, four, three, two, one. Impact, now!" counted down Thunderhead until the burst missile detonated, the sky filing with the devastating balls of fire.

Blaze didn't wait for them to fully disperse and he dove back down with Chopper and Nagase, Grimm remaining in the air above the danger zone for his own safety. Blaze fired a pair of missiles at the two of the still active Kashtans while Chopper and Nagase stayed tight together, diving for the port side.

"Dropping!" they both shouted, their remaining bombs whistling through the air before hitting their targets dead on.

The destroyed gunt mounts were shredded from the bombs as they penetrated into the hull, one of Chopper's going so far in that when it detonated it ripped a massive hole through the hull underwater and caused gallons of icy water to begin flooding inside. Nagase's bombs caused further damage and it rocked the submarine to its very core, killing dozens of crew members inside that were trying to manage the flooding from Blaze's earlier attack.

But even after all of that punishment the titan of a submarine was still floating and still capable of attacking them, much to the frustration of Chopper.

"Dammit, just sink already!" he barked as he shoved a pair of missiles into the submarine,.

"Lower hull flood spreading captain! We can't contain it, and we've lost contact with the damage control team!"

"Launch them! Launch them all! I don't care of we annihilate ourselves in the process, we're taking those damned planes down with us!"

With this final order, the Hrimfaxi's hull was soon consumed with smoke and fire as it repeatedly launch one burst missile after the other, Thunderhead counting each one as it launched with increasing terror and worry for the Wardog pilots.

"Number two, number three, number four...there's too many to count!" he stuttered, Mitchell just as shocked as he was sitting next to him.

"Let go of everything you have!" bellowed Blaze as he didn't even bother locking on to the submarine's exposed weak spots.

With Chopper and Nagase on his wings, they dummy fired their missiles at the hull of the Hrimfaxi, the latter two releasing the few bombs they had left before pulling away. Chopper's plane was damaged even further by surviving CIWS emplacements as they soared up towards Grimm's location.

The Hrimfaxi was rocked by the last attack and its burst missiles came down from above, the Wardog pilots shooting past them to the point they almost touched.

"Five, four, three, two, one. Bursting, now!"

The sky and the entire area over the lake of frozen water and the ice surrounding the Hrimfaxi's location was utterly covered with giant bubbles of hellfire, the heat so enormously high that the ice actually melted along the edges. The Hrimfaxi however, its own last ditch attack to try and bring down its enemies had sealed its fate, the last nail in the submarine's coffin being put in when the upper hull began to melt and deform from the intense heat, turning the sections closest to the top of the hull into literal furnaces.

The operators from Submarine Squadron Command on the other end of the radio line heard the shouts of anguish coming from some the Hrimfaxi's crew that were caught in those areas, utterly horrified.

"Hrimfaxi...it appears you're up against Razgriz itself out there…" uttered the operator who was in contact with the submarine's captain.

During the engagement the submarines that acted as the Hrimfaxi's bodyguards had evacuated the area to avoid being sunk themselves, leaving Blaze and his flight free to circle in the air and observe the Hrimfaxi's slow demise.

"Looks like they were the real Razgriz...not us...maybe someone's trying to tell us that our time is up…"

The Hrimfaxi dipped more into the water, listing heavily to the port side before suddenly the hull was ripped open by a massive explosion from the reactor core going critical from battle damage. Smoke billowed from the wreck as it finally sank beneath the waves, taking any burst missiles it still had within its hull to a watery grave, never to be used against Osea again.

"Mission complete, Hrimfaxi confirmed sunk!"

"Well done Wardog. Central Command, and the entirety of the Osean Army, thanks you." said Mitchell, adding on to Thunderhead's statement.

With the battle now finally over, the tired and exhausted pilots formed up again in their bullet hole filled fighter jets for the long trip back home to Sand Island.

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

The surprise attack on the Hrimfaxi was a success, and the submarine has sunk to the bottom of the Razgriz Straits. The threat from the northern sea has disappeared, and the Osean forces are on the offensive against Yuktobania.

 **\- Crew Break Room, Sand Island -**

 **\- November 14th, 2010 2015 hrs -**

Once news arrived at Sand Island of the sinking of the Hrimfaxi by Wardog, the entire base erupted into a base-wide party celebrating the victory for their pilots. And when they eventually did arrive back home they were greeted by everyone they knew on the base, albeit after the mechanics were flabbergasted at the state of their jets.

Despite that initial encounter, the pilots were taken where the party was at its strongest and allowed themselves to enjoy the good times. Even Perrault, who didn't stay for long, permitted the festivities with the usual grunt and a nod.

With that, Chopper went on a quest to get as drunk as he possibly could, cracking jokes and laughing with many of the other officers and personnel from the base, while Grimm kept it easy with water and had sensible conversations while looking out for him. Nagase on the other hand was with Blaze, smiling as she played cards with him and a few others.

Even Pops, who like Grimm was drinking a non-alcoholic beverage since he still had work to do, was enjoying himself. He took a seat in an empty chair next to the drinks table when Gennette, who was filming everything just for the fun of it, came up to him to take some footage of him.

"Me? Heavens." he said with the polite raise of a hand. "The ace pilots who sunk the enemy submarine are right over there, and I'm the person you want to interview now?"

"No, it's not that. It's just that I heard you used to be a fighter pilot yourself." replied Gennette, making the older gentleman grin.

"I just fly freight plans for the maintenance crews now. The captain, Captain Bartlett that is, said it was time for an old man like me to quit trying to compete with the young guys. Talk about a lack of respect!"

Pops and Gennette both laughed at his joke, Pops taking a moment to drink some of his beverage while Gennette rested his weight on his back foot, keeping his camera on Pops.

"Where did you meet Captain Bartlett?"

"We were both shot down and we bailed out behind enemy lines in the last war, over the former Belkan Priority One Strategic Airspace B7R. Its aces back then liked to refer to it as the "Round Table"." Pops smiled as he recalled the fond memories. "We got through the bullet-ridden battlefield and made it back to the allied front line. I tell you, it was tough getting the army to believe we were on their side."

"Why was B7R so special?" asked Gennette, bewildered at the fact they were shot down.

"B7R was a special place because everyone there was on equal terms. It was where the best of the best from each country would go to battle to the end. The only rule of engagement there was to survive."

Pops held his cup with two hands and leaned forward a little sighing a little with a chuckle. "I can recall one man though that flew those skies like a true ace, an ace among aces."

"Who was he?" Gennette inquired, wanting to know more.

He had actually watched a documentary series made by another Osean journalist, one where he interviewed various former pilots from the Belkan War, and he remembered how they all talked about one ace in particular.

"He was a mercenary from Ustio, from the 6th Air Division. Now normally you would think that mercenaries would only be in it for the money, right?"

Gennette nod his head, Pops chuckling as he took a sip of his drink and set it back down in his lap again.

"Not this pilot, and his wingman too. They were the 66th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Galm", its number two being that Pixy guy that aired on that documentary series some years back." explained Pops, who saw the light bulb go off in Gennette's mind. "You know what I'm talking about, right?"

"Yeah, I do. Solo Wing Pixy was his name. Do you remember what planes they flew?"

"Of course, how could I forget? They flew Eagles, the two of them, Solo Wing's with a red wing tip, and the other, the man I speak of, had blue painted wings. I remember people talkin' all about the guy, and every time I did I always heard his nickname. 'Demon Lord of the Round Table'...just imagine having a nickname like that, am I right?"

Gennette smiled and shook his head, since he wasn't a pilot himself he couldn't really do much to imagine himself as one. Pops nod his head in understanding and chuckled one last time.

"That enough for you?"

"Yeah, it is. Back to what you said earlier, about you and Bartlett getting shot down?"

"Hey, it was a long time ago. We all make mistakes."

"Oh, no, I didn't mean it that way." answered back Gennette with the wave of his hand. "Even if you're not flying with those pilots, your age and experience provide a lot of support for all of them. I just wanted to tell you that. I've seen that you really listen to what they say, and you always have helpful suggestions for them."

Pops smiled and gave him a nod. "Well, thank you."

"I think they're going to need you, now more than ever."

"I'll do what I can."

"These people, it's like they're walking on a tightrope that could snap at any second. They're going to reach their breaking point sooner or later."

"Yeah…" murmured Pops with a slow glance at Blaze, who had finished talking with some people and was just watching the party while flipping his coin.

After a few minutes of coin flipping and drinking, Blaze caught it and slipped it back into his pocket before making his way out of the room rather calmly. Pops was intrigued by this and stood up as well, excusing himself from Gennette with a smile before he too left the room.

Staying silent he followed Blaze down the hallway, waiting at the corner he turned around at to remain hidden and trained his ear to listen to Blaze as he rummaged around in his other pocket. Blaze pulled out a cellphone and pressed a few buttons before holding it up to his ear, the dial tone ringing softly in his ear before the person on the other end picked up.

" _Hello?_ "

"Hey, it's me."

" _Oh hey there. How is it going there at the base? I havn't heard from you in a while._ "

"Hey, listen...you think you can do something for me?" Blaze held his hand up to his mouth, making an attempt to muffle his voice.

" _Yeah, what is it?_ "

"I need you to drop by with my plane at the usual spot. The Tomcat I fly is great and all, but...I miss my plane." said Blaze before scratching his cheek with a cheeky grin. "And maybe you could squeeze in some, I don't know...um, Raptors?"

" _Sure, no problem._ "

"And another thing...I've met and battled this guy named Markarov. I think he's Yuktobanian, I'm not sure...but when I was fighting him, he said...he knew who I really was. Should I be concerned that he actually knows?"

Pops' eyes widened as the conversation took a drastic turn from where he was expecting it to go. He wasn't too disturbed about the fact that Blaze had an outside source that could hook them up with new planes, he assumed it was someone in the higher ups of the OADF. But this was something he wasn't even expecting at all.

" _Don't worry about it. One person doesn't matter, as long as your friends don't know, you're fine._ "

"I'm gonna have to tell them sooner or later."

" _When you tell them is up to you. You have to be the one to choose when the time is right._ "

"Yeah...I know…anyways...I'll see you there, let's say on the 16th?"

" _You got it. See you._ "

Blaze hung up and sighed as he pocketed his phone, tapping his foot on the ground before he took another sip of his beer and popped his neck. He started walking back to the room, and by then Pops had already retraced his steps and returned to the part, acting as if he hadn't even left.

He saw Blaze walk in, but didn't make it far when Grimm came over to him with a pretty tipsy Nagase, Grimm smiling as he handed her to him. Blaze assured that he would get her back to her room, and as they left Pops kept a steely eyed gaze on him the whole time.

" _Just who are you Blaze…?_ "

After a few minutes of walking Blaze and Nagase arrived at the barracks, where their rooms were, and he tried to find the keys in his pockets with one hand, holding onto Nagase with the other.

"Sorry...Blaze…" said Nagase with a slight slur, Blaze chuckling.

"It's okay, I don't mind looking after you. You've covered my tail plenty of times when flying, so it's only right I cover your's when you're feeling tipsy."

Nagase smiled a little when Blaze finally opened the door and walked her inside, using his foot to close it shut before taking her to the bed and setting her down. He went and turned on the lamp she had on her nightstand and saw her book resting next to her pen on it, the title glimmering slightly from the light.

"You know…"

He gently grabbed the book and sat down next to her, looking over the cover a few times before he looked up at her and smiled as he held the book up to her.

"We never got around to finishing our talk earlier today about it, the book. I could see you really care about it, and from what I saw inside, it seemed like you filled in a lot of it."

"Yeah…" Nagase took the book and held it in her hands, smiling softly with reddened cheeks. "It's one of my favorite fairy tales...don't tell Chopper this, but...my mother would tell it to me all the time too…"

"Ah, don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

He put a hand around her shoulders and gave her a friendly pat, Nagase's cheeks turning a slight bit darker shade of red when she blushed a little. She looked back down at the book and rubbed the soft red fabric it was made of before she slipped her finger inside and opened it to the front page.

"Would you...like me to read it to you?" she asked softly, Blaze blinking once at the question. She brought her gaze up to his for a few moments, expecting an answer from him, and after silence at first, Blaze smiled and nod his head.

"Since no one's ever told me the story before, I wouldn't mind."

Nagase was elated to hear that from him and she looked back to the book, taking a breath before she started to read from the story right off the page, the first few being well preserved and intact despite the obvious age of the book itself.

"This is a story about a tiny miracle that came to a certain group of people. Once upon a time, in a land far away…"

Nagase read the fairy tale to Blaze page to page, not going too fast or too slow, and the whole time he was invested in the entire story, smiling the whole way. Eventually she reached the end of chapter nine, which was the farthest she had gone so far with her notes, and she closed the book, very happy with reading it.

"Blaze...thank you for letting me read this to you…"

"Of course, Nagase."

Nagase set down the book in her lap, looking at it for a few moments before she happened to end up leaning against Blaze without her realizing it at first. Blaze felt her weight against his arm, but instead of pushing her away, he only smiled and remained silent, being the rock that the younger female could lean against.

"Blaze…"

"Yes, Nagase…?"

"You're married...right?"

Blaze's eyes widened a little from the sudden question and he couldn't answer back right away. He gazed down at his right hand, where his golden ring sat comfortably around his ring finger, the light from the nightstand lamp reflecting on it.

"Yeah...why?" he asked quietly, unsure of where Nagase was going. "Why did you want to know?"

"I promised to always protect you...ever since Bartlett was shot down...and now, that promise…" she lowered her gaze a little. "It's become something else…"

"Nagase...have you…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Nagase took a brave step forward and brought her head and hand up, cupping one of Blaze's cheeks gently before she moved in for the kill shot. Blaze's eyes widened when her lips brushed against his and she kissed him without a word between them, holding it for just a few moments before pulling away.

"Please...for tonight…"

Blaze didn't say no or yes, the effects of the alcohol he's ingested taking root and making his judgement cloudy enough for his body to just let things happen the way they did. Her lips met his again, and there was no hesitation from either one of them. Blaze ended up putting a hand on her hip and Nagase wrapped hers around his back, their kissing soft and sensual, and then she gently shoved him.

He fell onto the bed, the soft mattress and covers cushioning his fall, and he had a moment of respite to catch his breath. Nagase then climbed on top of him, her knees straddling his hips, her eyes on his before she moved down on him. Light, but strong, delicate and fierce, her breasts raked softly against his chest through her t-shirt.

The night was still young...and in that moment of weakness, they forgot everything, and let it take them away.


	18. Ice Cage

A/N Leave a fav and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 16 - Ice Cage**

 **The demon soars through dark skies**

 **Fear and death trail its shadow beneath**

 **Until men united wield a hollowed sabre**

 **In final reckoning, the beast is slain**

* * *

The sun peeked in through the open blinds and Blaze's brow furrowed when it shined directly on his eyes. He shifted slightly under the covers and the next feeling his body felt was warmth. A warmth that took shape into something soft and round, and the more he groped while half awake the more familiar it got until he opened his eyes.

It was Nagase, sleeping there next to him under the covers, and when he was finally thinking clearly he realized exactly what his hand was cupping and pulled it away rapidly, sitting up just as quickly.

" _What the, why am I...oh right, last night...we-_ " he thought before he froze up and looked under the covers. "Wait, we..."

Nagase stirred from the commotion and she slowly opened her eyes, and in that moment when she sat up, clutching the covers against her body, they looked into one another's eyes. She saw the distress and worry written all over his face, and her heart sunk down into the pit of her stomach.

"Nagase, did-"

"I'm a horrible person…"

She turned her back on him, the covers still hugged against her while her back was bare, revealing the pure skin. Blaze was at a loss for words, still not certain if the two of them had crossed a line the night before or not.

After a few moments Nagase reached forward for something from the little nightstand on her side of the bed and when she brought her hand up, Blaze's heart tightened up a little bit, but at the same time he felt a little relieved as well. In Nagase's hand was the opened package of a condom, which meant two things.

One, they did have sex the night before. And two, at least he had worn protection.

And then it all came back to him. He remembered the way the two of them had moved, like two dancers who had years of experience. Her riding him under the moonlight coming through the window, her head thrown back, hair flying free, her pale white skin practically glowing and full of life. Both of them had delayed and took their sweet time, switching back and forth between slow and fast, and when they had both had their fill Nagase had collapsed against his chest, and from there they had fallen asleep soon after.

"Nagase...I…"

"I'm horrible...I took advantage of you when you had been drinking, just to satisfy my own selfish needs…" she hugged herself tightly. "You're already married…"

Blaze was heartbreaking to see her like this, the usually strong-willed and brave fighter pilot and friend he had come to know hiding behind the wall of guilt she had built up. Part of what she had said was true, he couldn't deny it, but she was putting too much of the blame on herself.

"Please, stop...you're not at fault here, not totally that is." He scoot over to her side and sat down behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I wasn't in my right of mind either, and I didn't say anything. I'm at fault too...so stop putting all the blame on yourself."

"But what if your wife finds out? What if she-"

"Nagase...my wife is a very understanding person. She's used to...me being away from home for long periods of time, without any calls. And she knows I love her, more then anything in the world...even more then flying. But she knew that there could always be a chance I would, well, you know…"

He trailed off and Nagase, who was closed to crying from the prospect of whatever terrors her brain mustered up, she slowly turned her head to look at him. Blaze gave her a soft, reassuring smile as he pat her shoulder.

"It's okay...trust me. If you still wish to apologize, once this whole...everything comes to an end...I'll gladly take you with me back home to meet her."

Nagase was floored by the good nature of Blaze and the meaning behind his words, so much so that she felt personally touched by them. She ended up finally smiling and Blaze chuckled a little as he rubbed her bare back, happy to see her happy again.

"Do you feel better now, Nagase?"

"Yes...I do. Thank you Blaze." she replied in a soft tone. "About...last night...was I-"

Blaze gently put a finger to her lips, stopping her from asking the question he already knew the answer to. He removed his finger when she closed her mouth again, and he nod his head.

"Yes, it was amazing, Nagase."

Nagase blushed and she toyed a little with her other hand in her hand in her lap, the covers held close to her body falling away a little bit.

"I just wish it didn't take me drinking alcohol to confess to you...like it wasn't really me…" murmured Nagase glumly, lowering her gaze back to her hands.

Blaze could tell from her tone and look that she really did mean that, and he couldn't blame her for thinking that too. Alcohol can be a powerful thing, and if he was in her position he would've wanted to confess under his own power and not under the influence of alcohol too.

He made a quick glance back to the clock on the wall and saw it was still early in the morning, around six thirty, so with a little grin he turned back to Nagase and rubbed her back again.

"It's still early, and we considering the party last night, there's a slim chance anyone will be waking up at this time too, so…"

"Blaze…?"

"Would you like to try again? Nagase?"

Nagase turned her head to Blaze, surprised once again by his good heart and the willingness to make her happy. It was now she could imagine the woman he married would be okay with things like this, because Blaze was one of those few men that had a genuinely good heart and soul, a man that any woman would want.

Her cheeks turned red when she felt embarrassment and Blaze laughed a little. Nagase gave him a little shove before she too laughed happily with him,using one hand to clutch the covers while the other she leaned on, twisting her body a little towards him.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Even though I've said it already, you-"

"One hundred percent. You deserve that much, Nagase." Blaze replied. He didn't need alcohol to tell him this was the right thing to do. "I am married, yes, so that means I can't reciprocate all of your feelings...but that doesn't mean I can't take care of you, at this very moment, as if I was your lover.

Nagase blushed again, her cheeks like little rosy red tomatoes compared to her skin. She then let go with her left hand, the comforter and sheets of her bed slipping down, revealing her breasts, medium sized and rather firm, the nipples dark. "I like you, Blaze…"

She leaned her head back and Blaze met her, their lips meeting once again in a gentle kiss that allowed Nagase to truthfully convey her emotions under her full control. Their lips ceased to separate as Blaze brought his hands around to her bare stomach, holding her still before one gently slid up to cup her breast.

She let out the slightest little sound, a little peep of pleasure that broke through their kiss. He was pleased with her breast and rubbed it the entire time it took for them to move slowly from the edge of the bed to the headrest, Blaze sitting upward with his back against it and Nagase straddling his waist. It only took a single word, a barely audible utterance that only Blaze could hear, for them to begin making love to one another once more.

Blaze held her by the hips as she rode him at a steady pace, their groans mixing together from their kissing until they had to pull away to catch their breath. Nagase looked into his eyes, he into her's.

"Nagase...I don't have a condom...on…"

"Do you have another…?" Nagase asked with a soft moan.

They paused in order for Nagase to hand him his wallet upon his request, and when he dug around inside it he let out a sigh of relief as he pulled out another Trojan ready to go.

She got off of him to let him put it on, and once it was secure Nagase smiled softly with those rosy red cheeks of her and moved Blaze's hands on her own.

One to her ass, and the other to her breast. Then she mounted him again and the two resumed their kiss and love making at the same steady rhythm, the bed creaking softly.

There was another, unspoken plus to the two of them sharing such an intimate moment together. Couple with the actual physical release of sex, there was a psychological release of all the pent up stress the two pilots had been bottling up since the beginning of the war with Yuktobania. The breaks they had were nice, but considering the frequency of their operations, they never had a real chance to actually relieve their stress.

And with Blaze and Nagase feeling relatively sober, they certainly the stress leave both of their bodies when both finished, one right after the other. The kiss muffled their soft, animal-like groans, and when they pulled apart to look one another in the eye Blaze gave her a lopsided grin.

"That was definitely better...then the drunk sex last night…"

"Yeah…" Nagase smiled softly as he rested her forehead against his, her body relaxing with two still joined at the lower half.

"Blaze, I...I don't even know how to thank you...I…" Nagase rambled on before Blaze cupped her cheek. "Blaze…?"

"Nagase...listen to me. You are a beautiful woman, that is undeniable, and I'll tell you now, if I wasn't already married and have a love of my life...you would be the one I'd choose. I swear."

Nagase's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open a little. Blaze chuckled and move his hand to the top of her head, rubbing her hair.

"You're too kind…" Nagase said softly as she leaned forward to hug him. "Thank you, Blaze."

Blaze hugged her back and they remained like that for a little while before they separated and had to clean up the bed and dispose of the condom and packaging in the trash bin. He made her bed with her and then got themselves dressed before Blaze checked the coast was clear outside and fully opened the door.

"See you later Nagase." he said with a wave before leaving.

Nagase returned the wave as he left, her door closing shut. She waved for another second before lowering her hand and holding it, blushing softly as she smiled and closed her eyes while feeling a sense of happiness wash through her.

 **\- Capital city of Gran Rugido, Central Sapin -**

 **\- November 14th, 2010 1236 hrs -**

It had been a while since Blaze had been to the capital of Sapin, the bustling city and cultural hub of the Kingdom still as lively as it was the last time he had been here. He smiled as he saw the Sapinish Royal Palace with its brilliant white banners bearing the coat of arms of the Kingdom go by the windows of the commercial airliner he had taken to the city.

Blaze was thankful for Pops taking him from Sand Island to the mainland in order for him to catch a flight to Sapin. Once the plane pulled into Gran Rugido International Airport, or _Aeropuerto Internacional Gran Rugido_ as it was actually called within the country, he made it off the plane and into the terminal in a quick manner.

He had no time to look around and see the sights, he had somewhere to be and needed to snag a taxi as soon as he could.

Thankfully Blaze got one without having to wait long and using fluent Sapinish to tell the driver where to go, he sat back into the seat and resorted to watching the city go by. He was lost in his thoughts before he arrived at his destination, an abandoned airport that used to act as the main one for the city before the newer airport had been opened.

Blaze thanked the driver and paid him before stepping out and walking towards the chain link fence that surrounded the abandoned airport. He climbed in through a hole and smiled a little as he took in the familiar sights, the emptiness of the airport a cover up for the actual use it had now since its closing.

" _The hangar doors are closed now, sure, but at night...damn this place can get packed with all of the mercenaries from all over the Osean continent._ " Blaze thought with a chuckle, remembering his time here long ago.

And once he reached the only open hangar in the row, he stopped to gaze upon the prize waiting inside.

"Hello there beautiful…"

"I'm flattered." Blaze looked to the right and snorted when a man walked up to him, clean shaven with black hair and dull green eyes. This was one of his oldest friends, and he was always glad to see him.

"Just like when you last took her to the skies, right?"

"Yeah." replied Blaze before he gave the man a handshake, then pulled him into a hug. "Thanks for bringing her here. It's good to see you too, James."

"Same here, buddy." James smiled. "I'm sure you got here without relatively too much trouble?"

"Ah, I worked the magic on the Base Commander and let him have our mechanic fly me to Osea to get a plane here, to see a friend for a little. Which in of itself isn't false."

"Anyways...she's all fueled up, armed to the teeth, and gave her a paint job myself. Already gave the right people the heads up to let you pass without any troubles too."

"Thanks James. And those Raptors?" asked Blaze as he walked towards the aircraft in the hangar.

"Tomorrow morning. And the rest of those missiles will be there too." replied James while pointing at the two bulky missiles attached to the hardpoints under the aircraft's wings.

Blaze gave him a grin as he climbed up the ladder into the open cockpit and snagged the helmet, feeling the familiar memories coming back as he slipped it on and powered up the aircraft for take off. James walked to the side and waved as Blaze taxied out onto the runway and eventually took off, the large aircraft flying higher and higher into the sky.

Once Blaze was gone, James pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number. It rang a few times in his ear before the one end answered.

"He got the plane."

" _Good. Do you know where they'll be heading to next?_ "

"Not exactly, but I'll find out. I'll be back in a few to get the plane ready." responded James as started walking toward the entrance Blaze had climbed through. "Listen, how long do we have to stay in the shadows like this? I wanted to tell him so badly, it was hard keeping a straight face."

" _I don't know, the Pres didn't say. We just have to wait until they finally reveal themselves once again. I don't have to explain how I know the way they act. And I know how you feel about this, it's the same with me. It's killing me inside to have to keep this from him._ "

"Yeah...anyways. See you back at base."

" _Roger._ "

They both hung up.

 **\- Briefing Room, Sand Island -**

 **\- November 17th, 2010 1267 hrs -**

"Our ground offensive is continuing its fast-paced push into Yuktobanian soil. A POW internment camp was discovered during the offensive, and a team of marines has attacked and captured the camp. The marines have secured the camp's radio room, and a flight of helicopters is en route to retrieve the prisoners." their Briefer told them after Blaze had taken his seat. It was always the one right next to the one Bartlett would sit in, and almost as if it were like a monument, none of the pilots had even touched the seat from when it was last used by their missing captain.

The day he was shot down and captured still bothered him, despite the short time they had spent together, the day when they had talked alone had stuck with him all this time. He missed him, considering their history.

And when the briefing had started about the POW camp he had become more focused then some of the previous ones, because he recognized the chance that Bartlett could actually be there, just waiting for them to pick him up.

He could even imagine the old firebrand yucking it up with the Osean marines there right now, and that was enough to bring a smile to his face.

"Your mission is to provide close air support for this rescue and retrieval operation. The radio room could be retaken by the enemy at any moment. If it is the enemy will report the attack, and the rescue will end in failure. Find and shoot down all enemy aircraft in the local airspace, and secure air superiority across the entire area. Dismissed."

Blaze got up from his chair and let Perrault and Hamilton leave first with a nod to both before he walked out and turned, blocking the exit with his arms and body.

"Hey, what's the hold up Kid?" asked Chopper.

"Don't get your panties in a wad Motormouth, we're going to the hangars. Just wanted to see your faces before hand."

Blaze then got out of the way and started walking, flipping his coin a few times before glancing back at his confused wingmen and grinning. "You coming?"

"Right!"

Grimm came out first, followed by Chopper and Nagase, who could only smile at Blaze's little shenanigans and at how happy he was now.

They walked out of the building as a group like they always did and made their way to their hangars, Pops sitting outside one of them on a crate cleaning some of his tools spotted them. The older gentleman smirked and stood up, cleaning a tool in his hand as he waited for them.

"I see you brought them all along as usual, Blaze?"

"Of course Pops." said Blaze with a grin. "They all ready to go?"

"Me and the boys have been hard at work ever since they arrived, and you owe us a drink afterwards, but we got them done."

"Got what done, exactly?" asked Chopper perplexed.

"Yeah, what's going on Captain?"

Blaze nod his head and Pops chuckled as he set down the tool and walked to the hangar doors control panel, pressing a button and making a loud ruckus as they slowly began to open. Slowly the gap between each door widened, allowing sunlight to pour inside, and Blaze crossed his arms across his chest still with a grin while his friends' expression morphed from one of confusion to bafflement.

Sitting in the hangar in a perfect row were three brand new, freshly waxed F-22A Raptors, the tinted glass of the cockpits glistening in the sunlight. Each had the OADF symbol painted on in the proper places, and Grimm, Nagase and Chopper each had their own unique markers from their Tomcats put on as well, making them all their own.

"Holy shit! Raptors?!"

"Blaze, you...how?!" Nagase gasped. "How did you get us Raptors?!"

The three pilots practically ran up to their new jets just to try and take in as much of it as they could, like it was going to be taken away from them if they didn't.

"The reason why I left yesterday, I went to see a buddy of mine. He hooked them up for us. They're all yours, enjoy. He hopes you like them."  
"Like them?! Kid you're an idiot if you think we don't!" exclaimed Chopper with laughter.

"But Captain, what about yours? There's only three here."

Blaze chuckled again before he motioned to the next hangar over, Pops already making his way there. Once they got the hint the three left their Raptors to follow Blaze to a spot in front of the doors and stopped there, holding a hand to Pops for him to wait to open them.

"Now, unlike you guys, I didn't get a Raptor. I have something entirely different, one that even Pops hasn't seen yet."

"He's right." Pops walked over to them and put his hands on his hips. "I'm just as excited as you are to see this."

Blaze chuckled as he approached the hangar doors and then turned to face them, hands behind his back and a smile on his face, a genuine smile of happiness.

"You guys are all familiar with the war that happened fifteen years ago, right?" questioned Blaze, all four of them nodding their heads.

"Who isn't, Kid?" asked Chopper with a smirk.

"Yeah, the Belkan War." concurred Grimm. "Why are you asking us this?"

Blaze held his grin while he readied his explanation that was just good enough to tell them the important information they needed to know, and not the information that shouldn't know. The organization he had to bring down or his true identity being among several things he had to keep secret during the little history lesson.

"During the war, the South Belka Munitions factory worked tirelessly to build better and more advanced weapons for the Belkan army and air force to use against their enemies. A program developed before the war was Project Pendragon, headed by BAF pilot and scientist, Anton Kupchenko, who disappeared before the Belkan War began and was found dead near its conclusion."

"Project Pendragon...that certainly rings a pretty old bell." chuckled Pops. "I remember that from my youth, hearing about that."

"Yeah, they were the ones that created and manufactured weapons like the Excalibur and the V1 Nuclear Bomb. But that's besides the point, where I'm going with this is that, for the air force, Pendragon developed a fighter aircraft, two in fact, the ADFX-01 and ADFX-02 Morgan aircraft, the two serving as test beds for new weapons and refinement and enhancements that could be directed towards new fighter aircraft."

"What happened to them? Didn't everything that Belka make get divided up by the Allied forces or something?"

"You're exactly right Chopper. While the 02 model was destroyed, the 01 model was recovered by Osean ground forces and used for a time to conduct tests and other things before being bought by a certain someone. Wouldn't you find it funny…that I was that guy?"

He gave a thumbs up and Pops opened the hangar doors with the push of the button, Blaze crossing his arms again and smiling wide at them as they slowly revealed the very plane he was talking about sitting diagonally within the hangar due to its large size. The canard wings, the massive engines, the forward swept wings, and the white and blue paint job were all put on display, and needless to say everyone was floored.

"Say hello to the ADFX-01 Morgan everyone, a top-of-the-line experimental all-purpose weather fighter, courtesy of Belkan engineers."

He held out his arms as he presented the jet fighter to them, Pops slowly walking away from the control panel with his mouth hanging wide open from the shock of seeing it. He was thinking he never thought he'd see the day the rumored super-jet he had heard about would actually come to life, but he swallowed those words real quick.

Nagase, Chopper and Grimm were baffled too, the whole design of the aircraft practically alien to them since they'd never seen a fighter jet built with such an unorthodox air frame.

"The ADFX-01 can carry all of your usual missiles, both for air-to-air, air-to-ground, and air-to-sea operations, hence its all-purpose title, plus a special toy that the Belkans made, from which Yuktobania made their burst missiles from."

Blaze walked them inside up to the Morgan and stood next to wing closest to the hangar entrance, patting his hand on the nose of one of the massive dark-colored missiles.

"MPBMs, or Multi Purpose Burst Missiles."

"Burst missiles for a plane?!" stammered Chopper. "That tiny little thing can-"

"No, it doesn't cause as much damage as a Yuke burst missile, Chopper." laughed Blaze. "That just comes down to size, and how much bang for your buck it has, but regardless these can still cause a great deal of havoc."

"Wow…" uttered Nagase in total disbelief.

"Alright, that's enough gawking for now. We've got an operation, so let's get these birds into the air! Move it!" barked Blaze, his three wingmen snapping out of their daze and quickly going back to their Raptors.

"I'll get you and the others a drink when I get back Pops!" waved Blaze before he closed the canopy and started up the Morgan's engines.

Pops laughed and waved them off as they taxied out onto the runway and soon left for Yuktobania, going on their next operation.

They all hoped that they'd be coming back with news about their lost captain.

 **\- Glubina, Northeastern Yuktobania -**

 **\- 12°33'07"N 102°36'02"E -**

 **\- November 17th, 2010 1708 hrs -**

They had arrived at the operational area and despite the Morgan saying it was an an all-weather fighter, that didn't really count for the pilot occupying it. Blaze had to squint his eyes just to be able to see through the frost gathering on the canopy as they flew over Glubina during the normal snow weather it experienced often through the year.

This was some of the worst weather he's had to fly in, and he hoped that the rescue operation didn't last long so that they could all get back home to where it wasn't cold or snowing.

"This is Archer. Captain, can you see the POW camp?" asked Grimm, Blaze rolling his craft a little so he could glance downward.

"Yeah, I see it." The lonely little camp coming up ahead of them almost seemed to blend in with the dark landscape around it, the weather not doing them any favors. He could only imagine how bad it was down on the ground though, for both the prisoners and the marines.

"You think the Captain, uh, I mean...Captain Bartlett...you think he's in there?"

"I bet he is. He's probably cussin' out all the other POWs and takin' charge right now. Right, Nagase?" asked Chopper.

Nagase took a little bit to respond, and when she did they all could hear the regret in her tone.

"You're not still blaming yourself, are you?"

Nagase didn't say anything this time, so Blaze slowed his jet down slightly and flew parallel to Nagase's jet, looking over at her with a little smile on his face.

"Nagase, you can't keep blaming yourself for that. You have to think of the positives." he consoled her, trying to cheer her up. "I mean hell...you've done a fantastic job upholding the promise you made over St. Hewlett. You're an amazing wingman, and I'd gladly have you cover my six any day."

"Blaze…" Nagase ended up looking over to his plane, and soon enough Chopper flipped his plane over theirs to fly on her other wing, and Grimm right behind her, as if she were the flight lead.

"Yeah, Nagase! You're an awesome fighter pilot!" reassured Chopper. "You're the coolest dude I know!"

"They're right, Nagase. Just like the Captain and First Lieutenant Davenport, you've become a great inspiration and role model to me. I couldn't have wished for a better teammate and friend."

"You see Nagase? We're not blaming you for anything, it wasn't your fault that day. It's time for you to stop blaming yourself too...Bartlett would be proud of how much you've grown and matured. I guarantee it."

"Everyone...I…" Nagase wasn't able to come up with the right words, the only thing she could being to smile and wipe her eyes when a few tears came out.

She even started to laugh a little, her own happy laughter making Chopper and Grimm laugh along with her to boost her spirits even more while Blaze merely smiled. After a few moments Nagase finally returned back to her normal self and thanked them all, the four pilots returning to their previous formation just as they passed over the internment camp.

"Fighters, I can hear the roar of your engines above us."

Blaze guessed that Thunderhead had linked them to the same radio frequency as the marines.

"Uh...this is Sea Goblin. Man, and I thought if I joined the marines I'd get to work on tropical beaches all the time...anyways, we've safely recovered the POWs. Guess our copter's not here yet.

"You're gonna have to babysit 'em a little bit longer. I'm picking up those enemy planes the briefer guy told us about on my radar." reported Chopper.

"Roger. You're that squadron from Sand Island, right? I've heard of you guys. Can't wait to see you do your stuff."

"Just sit tight and those fighters will be gone in a flash." said Blaze to end the conversation before he broke left towards the first cluster of planes.

They were only halfway there before the rest of the planes on radar disappeared, and it only took them a few moments to figure out it was from the snowstorm getting worse and the clouds getting thicker and dropping more snow.

No matter. They had been through tougher situations then this.

"Seems we can only spot them when we get close enough. Everyone, disperse and locate each cluster. There should be around four fighters in each cluster, a squadron, if my memory serves me. Do not engage until the rest of us arrive, got me?"

The others gave an affirmative and Blaze gave the order for them to disperse out over the area, Nagase, Grimm and Chopper going to the other corners of the operational area while he continued forward to the still spotted grouping directly in front of him on radar.

He contemplated using an MPBM to destroy the entire squadron of Su-27s in one swoop, but he had to figure that the fireball it would create could be spotted by the enemy from both the camp and from the other squadrons, despite the heavy snow storm. So he decided on the old fashioned way and armed a whole array of missiles to take them out.

Once they were in the perfect position he charged them right from behind, completely catching them off guard.

"Fox three!" announced Blaze as he let loose the XLAAs, the Yuke pilots unable to avoid them in time. Four distinct booms and clouds of fire filled his view and ears, and Blaze chuckled as he watched go down towards the snowy landscape below.

"Formation one down, Nagase, I'm heading your way. have you spotted your grouping yet?"

"Not yet, Blaze. Chopper, can you check the pre-flight data we were provided?"

"Ah yeah, sure! Uh...let's see...we have ten planes left."

Blaze nod his head and after a minute or two he reached Nagase, and together they discovered the second squadron of Yuktobanian fighters and together they brought them down quickly without the enemy even noticing.

Grimm was next on the list.

"This is Sea Goblin. Does it seem like the enemy aircraft have noticed our infiltration?"

"I don't think so." replied Grimm as he waited for backup.

"Roger. We've cut off the enemy's line of communication here, but it's just unsettling not being able to tell what the situation is."

The marine speaking to them motioned to another to stealthily glance out the window to check the situation outside, reporting back with an all-clear still. It was utterly silent inside of the radio room, and without the lights on the only light they had was what was coming through the few windows they had, and even then it wasn't much.

All of the prisoners were packed inside with them, which made it a little uncomfortable for the marines, especially with all of their combat gear and thermal clothing on.

Meanwhile at the other end of the internment camp, a platoon of Yuktobanian soldiers dressed in all white combat gear with assault rifles as well slowly crept in, examining their surroundings and finding everything dark.

"You know...I can't shake the feeling that we're being watched...hey, did you see a figure behind that window over there?"  
"You don't think they've found us out and surrounded us already, do you?"

As the marines whispered to one another about the dire situation, the Yuke soldiers fanned out, covering one another's flanks as they began to investigate the camp. They spoke silently to one another over their radios in Yuke, snow falling all around them while their boots made soft crunches in the packed snow.

"Chopper, have you spotted the final four enemy fighters?" asked Blaze after he and Nagase assisted Grimm.

"Just did, gonna hang back till you get here Kid."

He waited for them to arrive and with the four of them together again, they took down a Yuke fighter each and cleared the whole airspace, making it safe for the rescue helicopters to come on in. With an audio cue from Blaze their friendlies appeared on radar, and the four pilots formed up to make the return trip back to the camp.

They were only halfway back when their radios exploded with the sounds of gunfire and yelling. Yuke soldiers had discovered the infiltration and a firefight had broken out inside of the camp, which meant there wasn't much time before reinforcements on the ground came to support their allies and wipe out the marines.

"This is Sea Goblin, combat has broken out in the camp! You've got control of their airspace now, right?!"

"This is Blaze of Wardog, the airspace is clear of enemies. The chopper is on its way!"

"I knew we could count on you! Okay, we're going to get everyone out of here!"

Their spirits renewed, the marines fought back against the Yuke soldiers just in time for Blaze and them to fly over head and spray the ground with bullets, scaring the Yuke soldiers half to death with their appearance.

It was enough to allow for the marines to snatch the upper hand from them and start pouring the prisoners out of the radio room. Some grabbed the weapons of the fallen soldiers, since they too were Oseans, and fought alongside the marines to secure their freedom. As Blaze had flown over the camp he spotted a few unused AA gun emplacements organized around the camp and he made it quick to point them out to his wingmen, ordering them to be taken out before any Yuke soldiers could use them.

"Whew! It's getting sporty in here, but our ride's here. The ground's still crawling with weapons installations though, so they can't land for fear of being shot down. Could you take them out for us?"

"Already on it! Chopper, Grimm."

"On it Captain."

"Roger, Kid."

The two split off and easily eliminated the AA guns, and with them gone and the terror they inflicted onto the Yuke soldiers the Marines and their armed prisoner allies were able to secure a safe landing zone for the transport chopper, a second gunship one circling the air in case any threat made itself known.

"Alright, we're loading the POWs now. Can you see their smiling faces?" asked a Marine with a chuckle.

Chopper and Blaze chuckled themselves when Nagase actually lowered her altitude to watch the POWs climb into the large Chinook to be whisked away by the Marines from the camp.

They watched the last person walk up the ramp into the belly and the marines followed afterwards, the hatch rising up as to protect them from the increasingly colder arctic winds as the snowstorm got worse.

"All right, everyone's in the chopper. Checking to make sure we got all of 'em."

"Sea Goblin, is Captain Bartlett there? Check for a Captain Bartlett." asked Nagase, beating the others to the punch.

"Hmm…" The Marine called out for anybody with that name, and all he got were shakes of the head. "No, nobody named Bartlett here. None of the other POWs ever heard of him, either."

Nagase's heart sank, and so did Blaze's.

"But that can't...look, just check for me one more time!" she insisted, taking another swoop slowly around the camp to look down at the helicopter.

This would prove to be a mistake, for hidden in the snowy trees surrounding the camp, Yuke soldiers had stopped when they realized it was too late and decided to try and bring down at least one of them in revenge. A shoulder mounted SAM launcher was loaded and after aiming through the worsening conditions, the missile was launched.

"Ah, dammit Nagase!" cursed Chopper loudly when he spotted the missile heading right for her.

She swerved harshly to the left and started to climb up from the came, taking the missile the whole way with her.

"After everything you all said...I…" uttered Nagase as she slowed down, the missile coming up from behind and smashing into her Raptor.

The fuselage was torn in two, bright oranges and reds from the explosion lighting up the sky for a brief moment before the front half of the jet with the cockpit began hurtling rapidly towards the ground.

"Nagase!" shouted Chopper. They were already shocked from her getting hit, and they were hoping, pleading with god that she would be okay.

Then a flash of white came from the jet and their hearts skipped a bit when a parachute flew out into the air from the ejection seat, Nagase getting tossed and thrown around by the wind for a few moments before she and her jet came crashing down into the forest. The jet plowed its way through the snow, leaving wreckage in its wake, before stopping by ramming into a couple of thick trees.

Nagase on the other hand was beaten, battered and bruised the whole way down through the trees, her body hitting practically every single one, before her parachute was snagged and everything stopped when the chair and harness yanked on her. She gasped when all the air was expelled from her lungs and she hung there for a few moments, trying to get her senses back in order.

Everything was pain, and it hurt to just raise up a hand to unlatch her harness.

Once she got it she cried out as she dropped twenty feet down into the snow, the pain mixing with the cold when she fell into it with a muffled *poomf noise. On all fours she shook her head, blood dripping from her lip, the world still spinning.

Finally she managed to get back to her feet and with each step towards her crashed Raptor she regained more of her senses, her vision getting clearer, the ringing fading away.

" _Nagase! Nagase, respond!_ " she heard coming from her still function radio.

She hobbled over to it and reached inside, groaning a little from a pain in her chest, and figured she had at least one or two broken ribs from hitting a branch.

"I'm fine. My plane's trashed...but those are always replaceable…" she muttered, wiping away saliva.

"That was a new plane Nagase, I'm gonna have to ask that you help pay for the next one." said Blaze jokingly, trying to cover the immense fear he had for her with the joke.

"Sea Goblin to gunship. We're taking our guests home now, can you guys rescue her?" questioned a marine who had seen the crash from their Chinook.

"Roger. Weather conditions are getting worse, so we better step on it." responded the gunship pilot.

As the Chinook continued to gain altitude, and with Blaze, Chopper and Grimm remaining overhead in a holding pattern, they all observed the gunship turn towards the smoke coming up from the forest.

"Landing point confirmed, roger. Heading in the pick her up."

It was silent as they watched the helicopter get closer and closer to the crash sight, Nagase herself seeing the gunship fly over head and begin to hover there. They were all hopeful this would be just a freak accident, there wouldn't be another repeat of what happened with Captain Bartlett.

But then the very same Yuke soldiers that brought down Nagase fired an RPG at the helicopter and with a drastic last minute maneuver they were able to avoid it. The wind picked up heavily and it caused the pilot to lose control of the maneuver and the helicopter flipped over itself belly up, losing altitude and going down spiraling into the forest a few meters away.

"Fuck, no! The gunship crashed!"

"Dammit, the storm's too strong!" snarled a marine as the Chinook started shaking from the rapid increase in wind and worsening of the storm's conditions.

It got so bad that it was getting dangerous even for the ADFX to fly in, despite its all-weather capabilities being used by its pilot.

"We can't just leave her behind!" exploded Chopper, not so much out of anger but out of sheer terror for Nagase's condition.

"Look, I hate it too, but we have to wait for conditions to get before before we can do anything!" stated Grimm, disgusted with the situation too.

"Dammit! Is there nothing we can do?!"

"Chopper, Grimm is right. We can't do a damn thing with this fucking blizzard." agreed Blaze. He was pissed off too, and like Chopper he was deathly afraid.

"Fuck!"

"...You said it."

Chopper growled to himself when he forced himself to leave the area with Blaze and Grimm to protect the Sea Goblin chopper, despising the cruel reality of leaving Nagase and the gunship helicopter pilots behind, if they even survived.

On the ground Nagase was determined to discover this for herself, and after snatching her service pistol from the cockpit and checking to make sure it was loaded she started moving through the thick snow and wind towards the second crash sight.

It was practically impossible to see, even with her arm up in front of her face, and she could feel her body temperature starting to drop. Still she pushed on.

" _Please be alive, please be alive!_ " she thought frantically.

She used a tree to push herself forward through the wind and snow and arrived at the crashed helicopter, and first appearances were very promising. The helicopter was entirely intact and crashing into the soft snow had actually been a good cushion for it, the only damage it got was to the blades and tail while the impact cracked it open like a peanut.

"Hello?! Is anyone there!"

"In here!"

She trudged to the front of the helicopter and saw the two pilots inside, and they were both equally thankful to see her. Together they worked to get themselves out from the helicopter and rescue the third pilot, who had been in the back and received a broken arm when the harness holding him in had snapped and the crash sent in flying into one of the doors.

"God dammit...we were coming to rescue you and instead you're rescuing us." joked one of the pilots light-heartedly, Nagase smiling a little.

"Please, wait here. I'm going back to my jet to see if there's anything else that's salvageable. Once I come back we have to find shelter, the Yuke soldiers who shot me down are still out there and they'll be searching for us. Do you have anything to defend yourselves with?"

"Yes ma'am we do."

They had their service pistols on them and Nagase gave them a nod before she ventured back out into the icy snow and wind. Once back at her downed Raptor she painfully climbed up the fuselage to look directly into the cockpit and search for anything serviceable. What she found made her spirits sink back into her stomach again, and the gust of wind that sliced through her clothing to her very bone didn't help at all.

Because the jets were brand new and they didn't realize they were going to be coming here in the middle of a snowstorm, a cold weather kit hadn't been placed inside for just this situation. Which meant she had nothing that would enable her to have a better chance at surviving in the freezing Yuke wilderness.

" _Dammit...this is not something I needed to happen to me...everyone is counting on me to survive...everyone…_ " she thought, her spirits sinking even lower.

She made her way back to the helicopter pilots and once she explained the situation to them she was thanking God when they retrieved theirs from inside the gunship copter.

They didn't have time to celebrate though, they had to get moving fast if they wanted to avoid being captured by the Yuke soldiers on their way searching for them.

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

The POW rescue operation was a success and both the marines and our friends held in the camp were safely removed. As for Captain Kei Nagase, who was attacked and bailed out during the operation, Colonel Perrault will issue orders on her behalf. Central Command will be replacing Nagase's plane that was lost in the crash.

"None of the rescued POWs saw Bartlett in the internment camp. Now where could he be I wonder? Upon more favorable weather conditions, we will carry out a rescue operation for _Captain_ Nagase. That's right. You've been promoted yet again. You guys are burning through the ranks, you know that? You can thank high command for it."

 **\- Crew Break Room, Sand Island -**

 **\- 2134 hrs -**

Gennette walked into the break room and flicked on the lights, a slight buzzing sound filling the air. He spotted a red colored book resting on the couch by the window and he walked over, picking it up and recognizing it as Nagase's.

 _A Blue Dove for the Princess_.

That was the title of the book she left behind. A favorite book from her childhood, it was definitely showing its age. The pages have torn off over the years and she had been writing down the words that were on those pages, trying to remember every sentence and every verse.

He couldn't help wondering: Did she choose to crash on purpose, rather than have to take part in the invasion of another country?

 **\- Glubina, Northeastern Yuktobania -**

 **\- 2254 hrs -**

Nagase shivered as she looked at the helicopters pilots huddled under the heat-insulating space blanket, since they needed it most she felt like. The three men were already fast asleep, and in the small little alcove they were in, she kept a solid eye on the mouth with her pistol in her hand.

Nagase had to wrap some bandages around her primary hand just to be able to grip the gun, the cold making it almost impossible to touch the grip.

Since Sea Goblin was a marine unit meant to function in tropical environments, the cold weather pack they had didn't really provide much, with the only important high value item being the blanket she had given the pilots.

She was tired, aching, and breathing painfully from the broken ribs she has sustained. The scratches had stopped bleeding and she could feel the dried cold blood on her skin, but she didn't care.

" _I have to survive for their sake...for Blaze…_ " she thought to herself as she rubbed her eyes.

Nagase knew in her heart that those three would've already been clambering to get into the air to try and rescue her, because she knew how much they cared. The snowstorm was still raging outside however, and she assumed that the temperature was in the teens or even single digits, which meant they couldn't move even if they wanted to.

Thankfully their footprints were being covered by the wind and snow whirling outside, but even with that she had to force herself to stay awake for the off chance they were discovered.

" _Blaze...are you thinking about me…?_ "


	19. White Noise

A/N Leave a fav and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 17 - White Noise**

 _The demon soars through dark skies_

 _Fear and death trail its shadow beneath_

 _Until men united wield a hollowed sabre_

 _In final reckoning, the beast is slain_

* * *

When Blaze walked into the briefing room at exactly 0500 hours, he wasn't plagued by sleep deprivation or weariness or exhaustion at all. Despite not having slept the entire night before because of what had happened with Nagase, he was firing on all pistons just from the sheer drive to get back into the air and save her.

Chopper and Grimm, who walked in not even a minute after he had sat down in his chair, locked eyes with him and they shared nods. He could see it in their eyes, they hadn't slept either. Bags. A tad bit of a glaze. But like him, they were more than awake.

"We're gonna get her back boys, one way or another." said Blaze, giving them a fist bump each.

"Damn straight, Kid. Damn straight!"

"Hell yeah!"

Blaze and Chopper jumped up a little from how loud Grimm declared his passion to wanting to rescue Nagase, and they stared at him in disbelief. He gave them a cheesy grin and soon they were all laughing, Chopper clapping him on the back.

"Yeah, Grimm! Hell yeah!"

Perrault walked into the room with the Briefer, Hamilton not being present for this one because of a reason they did not know, and together they looked at the three pilots with a serious yet at the same time...worried expression. Blaze, and Chopper especially, was shocked at how Perrault handled himself when he removed his cap and held it at his waist, taking a deep breath.

"Bring back Captain Nagase...don't make us have to give her a posthumous two-rank promotion."

It was short and sweet, but the three pilots could actually see it in Perrault's body language and expression that he was worried too.

"We've succeeded in tracking down Captain Kei Nagase's distress beacon. We will not launch a combat search and rescue operation for her. Captain Nagase is currently on the run from an enemy patrol, the same that shot her down in the previous operation, we believe. Although she';s being pursued, her distress beacon is still broadcasting. This transmission is extremely weak, so we cannot confirm her location unless we get closer to the source of the signal."

Blaze was hopeful that the weather in Glubina would favor them this time around. If they had to try and find Nagase through another snowstorm he was not going to have a fun time.

"Follow the signal to find Captain Nagase's concealed location as quickly as possible. Once you find her, report her location to Sea Goblin Helicopter Squadron. The helicopter search and rescue team is expected to face stiff opposition from enemy air and ground forces. After the helicopter team picks up Captain Nagase, provide air support for them as they airlift her out. Dismissed."

 **\- Glubina, Northeastern Yuktobania -**

 **\- 12°33'07"N 102°36'02"E -**

 **\- November 18th, 2010 0958 hrs -**

His hopes and prayers had paid off. The skies were totally clear of any grey clouds whatsoever, giving them a picture perfect view of the snow Yuktobanian landscape down below them. The sunlight made the snow-topped trees sparkle, and if they weren't here on a mission or at war with Yuktobania, it would be a perfect place to come and sight see.

For the operation Blaze had offered to have the tracking device mounted on the nose of his Morgan, and now that they were in the operational area the transmitter was producing a slow, radar-like ping.

The box-shaped equipment was linked to his HUD and was represented by two lines of dots, separated in the middle by a clear space. When he was on the right track, the closer the lines would come to one another, the farther off course he got, the farther away they'd get.

It was a simple visual, but an effective one.

"This emergency locator beacon is our only connection to Nagase. let's hurry up and find her. Hang in there Nagase!" exclaimed Chopper as they formed up tight with Blaze.

They passed over the barren internment camp they were just at the previous day and pushed further into the Yuktobanian wilderness, following the pinging of the device like a bloodhound to an escaped convict.

Before they had left Sand Island, his Morgan had been given a tune up by Pops and his crew of mechanics and needless to say, Blaze was astounding by what the man could do. The hard points under the wings of the Morgan had been modified to carry two MPBMs each now, and he was itching to use them on the first squadron of Yukes to look at him funny.

He had thought it was time to fight fire with fire, pay back time.

"Chopper, Grimm, I have to focus on tracking Nagase. You two need to take out and destroy anything that could hinder either us, or the Sea Goblin chopper."

"Roger Kid, and remember, pay attention to the changes in the signal's pitch and tempo."

The airspace had plenty of Yuke fighters swarming the skies, but he paid no mind to them since he trusted Chopper and Grimm to take care of them.

" _I'm coming Nagase!_ "

She was huffing and gripping her hurting side from the broken ribs, running through the snow making it almost impossible to see through the splotchy vision she had. The helicopter crew was in front of her, shuffling through the snow and hiding when ordered when Nagase had to turn back and fire at the pursuing Yuke soldiers.

" _They won't give up!_ " She took two shots at a Yuke hiding behind a tree, splitting the wood on the edge forcing him to find better cover.

Nagase could hear the bullets whiz past her from their assault rifles, and her hope was running out. Soon the pain would be too much, even for the adrenaline that had got her this far. She would have to stop and rest, or she would pass out. Capture or death awaited her and the helicopter crew.

"No...I'm okay...I can keep going…" she told herself after taking another few shots and starting to run again.

Her voice and the gunshots came through to Blaze and the others from the salvaged radio they had gotten from the helicopter gunship. Blaze's spirits soared along with Chopper and Grimm's when they heard her voice. She was alive! She was alive and still fighting, against all odds!

"Nagase! Nagase can you hear me!?" yelled Blaze, wanting her ever so badly to respond. "Nagase!"

"Kid, I don't think she can hear us, the radio must've been damaged in the crash."

Blaze growled as he accelerated a little bit more, easily flying past a few roaming AA gun platforms, with Grimm taking them out a few moments later as they followed him. The pinging from the transmitter started to get more rapid and high pitched, the dotted lines beginning to waver.

He was getting closer, Nagase was almost saved! He willed and prayed for her to keep going, to keep fighting.

All of a sudden a loud screeching noise pierced their eardrums and their radars went to shit in a matter of seconds, Blaze howling from the pain in his eardrums.

"Jammer aircraft has entered the airspace!"

"Oh fuck no!" growled Chopper as he began to bring his aircraft up to engage the aircraft.

"We don't have time for this! Chopper, disengage, Fox Three!"

Blaze had turned his aircraft upwards, the sunlight making his dull white and blue painted Morgan sparkle like a shining beacon in all its glory. He locked onto the E-767 above them, and pressed the trigger button to launch one of the heavy MPBMs.

Chopper swerved to the left when the missile zoomed past him higher into the air, Grimm looking up too just when the missile reached the E-767 blending in with the blue sky. The missile then exploded in a massive sphere of superheated gas and fire that completely eradicated the jammer aircraft in the blink of an eye.

The deafening boom and crackle of the special weapon was heard across the whole area, with Yuke soldiers on the ground looking to the sky in shock and bewilderment. Their submarines had been sunk, did Osea somehow gain burst missile technology too?

Nagase on the other hand reacted differently. One look through trees into the sky, seeing the sphere first and then the distinct aircraft almost floating in the sky in the distance.

Her heart was filled with nothing but joy and the biggest of smiles spread across her face.

"Blaze! Blaze!"  
The transmitter was going crazy and Blaze dove down at a rapid speed, the pining getting louder and louder until it just flat lined and then he saw her.

Standing there in the snow, looking up at the sky through a clearing in the trees. She was unmistakable, in her flight suit and her black hair a glaring sign compared to the pure white snow.

"Blaze"

"Nagase!" Blaze blew past the clearing and he turned off the transmitter device, fist pumping rapidly from excitement.

"I've got her! I found her!" he exclaimed as he circled back around, spotting the Yuke soldiers advancing on them and spraying the forest where he saw them with his vulcan cannon.

Nagase took cover with the helicopter pilots as tree branches and leaves went flying everywhere, Blaze's gun ripping through them and sending snow flying everywhere while dropping many of the soldiers easily.

In the confusion, after Blaze had made his pass, Nagase sprinted toward the last surviving two soldiers and with help from the uninjured helicopter pilot and co-pilot she subdued the two men and held them at gunpoint after kicking away their weapons.

"Yuke soldiers down, Nagase is ready for pick up! Grimm, Chopper?"

"Airspace is clear Captain!"

"Roger, Sea Goblin, bring on the chariot!"

The marine chopper then appeared on the map and started heading toward their location as fast as they could, Blaze actually looking at the radar for the first time since coming back to Glubina and laughing.

Grimm and Chopper had practically wiped clean the entire enemy presence from the area. The only bad part about that was that it was ruined when a new flight of enemy jets appeared on radar. He assumed they were just the typical Fulcrum or Flanker squadron, and was prepared if they were anything else.

"Kid, it's those Foxhound jet fighters! They're comin' right for us!" announced Chopper, he and Grimm forming up next to Blaze. The three of them left the air above Nagase to engage the oncoming fighter squadron and prevent them from attacking the helicopter. All the while the marines drummed up a conversation about the person they were rescuing on the open channel.

"Don't worry fighters, we'll take your princess back to base safely."

"You do that, and I'll worship you guys." replied Chopper with a grin as he shot down one of the Yuke fighters.

"Hey, so this Captain Nagase...is she a looker?" asked on the marines, elbowing his buddy next to him with a grin. Blaze laughed at their shenanigans.

"Why don't you rescue her and see for yourself."

"If she's hot, I'm asking her out."

The marines high fived one another and shared a laugh, Blaze shaking his head at them and rolling his eyes after nonchalantly downing another Yuke fighter.

"Careful if I were you, she'll friggin' throat punch you." he snickered.

The operation continued to go as plan all the way to when Sea Goblin reached the clearing where Nagase was spotted by Blaze and she waved her arm up at them, the helicopter crew from the gunship right there next to her.

Blaze and the others had just finished shooting down the MiG-31s at the same time and were there to make a fly by just as the helicopter began to lower itself down towards them.

"Jesus, you got a towel? I need to wipe all this sweat off my brow. Whew…" said Chopper out of relief. "Say, Kid, I think that song would be perfect for a time like this, you know?"

"Yeah." Blaze smiled.

Blaze, Chopper and Grimm stayed in a holding pattern as they watched Nagase and the others load up into the helicopter. Once they were set and the rotor blades began to spin faster to lift the copter up, they led Sea Goblin away from the snow forests to take her back to the nearest allied forward base.

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

Our combat search and rescue of Captain Nagase was a success. We're having a physician check on her condition before she returns to Sand Island.

 **\- Sand Island -**

 **\- 1768 hrs -**

Gennette and Blaze were sitting with Pops in the opening of their usual hangar, the one where Pops kept his own plane that he tinkered around on whenever he had free time. This was the first time Blaze had joined in on their conversations, and just hearing them talk or shoot the shit was enough to make him feel right at home.

"You know, when they found her, the marines, Nagase was holding captive a couple of Yuke soldiers who were after her." said Blaze with a chuckle. "Behind her was the helicopter crew that crashed while trying to rescue her. She had saved them and protected them the whole time."

Blaze flipped his coin up and caught it heads up, Pops shaking his head with a smile at the sheer hilarity of the situation from the Yuke's perspective while Gennette was simply amazed.

" _I need to rethink my image of her after this...she has such amazing toughness and tenacity._ " thought Gennette. Blaze hiked one leg up over the other and whistled to himself before he caught his coin again and laughed again.

"Hey, what's on that coin you always carry around there Blaze?" questioned Pops, pausing in rubbing some wax onto his plane's belly.

Blaze figured, since he was in such a good move, he could take a little bit of a risk, and shrugged. "Sure, have a look."

Pops caught the coin when he tossed it too him, and the aging mechanic held it up and looked at it for a few moments. What was engraved on the face of the coin almost made his eyes pop out of his head.

A devilish dog, with a flaming tail, and a spiked collar with a shattered chain.

"Something wrong Pops?" Gennette queried, Blaze glancing back at him too.

Pops was quick to hide his shock and he gave them one of his warm smiles before tossing the coin back to him and shaking his head.

"Nah, I'm fine." he replied. "It's a nice coin, though it has a little bit of wear on it. Had it a while?"

"Yeah, a while."

Blaze stood up and pocketed the coin before stretching. He gave them both a farewell before he left the hangar to take a stroll back towards the barracks, eager to sit on his own bed and try to get some actual sleep.

Chopper had already gone to his room and Grimm was getting dinner, so for right now it was just him.

Little did he know that Nagase had arrived right around that time, the two meeting one another and embracing. Nagase hugged Blaze tightly and despite her injuries and the pain from it, her body quivered when all of the fear and negative emotions she had bottle up from the event poured out.

But Blaze stayed right there with her, keeping her company as the flight lead and friend he was. They talked afterwards, and Blaze learned some interesting things from her.

She had managed to obtain a little information from the soldiers she captured after he gunned down the rest. It seemed the people of Yuktobania were also beginning to have doubts about their leaders and the current war...and word of Nagase's squadron was getting around, as the force that sunk two of their most powerful submarines.

The Yuke Army's soldiers had nicknamed them "The Demons of Razgriz".

Nagase was obviously proud of that as she told Blaze, and he couldn't stop from smiling at her and being happy.

Perhaps her pride was for Captain Bartlett, the man who had trained them all from when they first arrived at Sand Island. Or maybe it was for her current Captain, the one she had vowed to never lose again, and the one that she truly believed in with all her heart.


	20. Desert Arrow

A/N Leave a fav and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 18 - Desert Arrow**

 _The demon soars through dark skies_

 _Fear and death trail its shadow beneath_

 _Until men united wield a hollowed sabre_

 _In final reckoning, the beast is slain_

* * *

 **\- Unknown Location, Yuktobania -**

 **\- November 20th, 2010 0700 hrs -**

"Keep moving." spoke the Yuke officer harshly in rough english after smacking his truncheon in the back of a man in front of him.

He grunted painfully and his knees buckled a little, but instead of letting it affect him the man merely chuckled and picked himself slowly, blocking out the pain so he could continue walking forward. He'd sustained dozens of the same kind of blow, and by now he had gotten so used to them he could take them from anyone, any time.

"Heh...alright Pal. Nice english by the way, really warms my heart up."

"Quiet."

He received another brutish blow to the back, this time making him fall to his knees and wheeze loudly.

"Hoo-boy! Man you hit like a girl!" he bellowed with a laugh. The other men around him, POWs, they looked at him with expressions of utter confusion at how this man could be laughing in the faces of the Yuke soldiers watching over them.

With each strike the grizzled man received, that confusion started to turn into courage and they began to cheer the guy on and give him encouragement to keep resisting. When other Yuke soldiers had to be called over to assist, that's when everything changed in the blink of an eye.

From the woods surrounding the POW camp, dozens of shadowy figures wearing hoods and other street clothes, some in full military attire, rushed the barbed wire fence at a full sprint.

The Yukes were totally unprepared when they started firing on them with AK-47s, bringing down several before the camp realized what was happening.

A full-scale battle erupted in the camp and the POWs with the grizzled man thought quickly on their feet, grabbing the weapons of the fallen guards to use them on their former owners.

It was over in a matter of minutes.

The camp was liberated, and any Yuke soldiers that had survived had surrendered to the mysterious attackers and their leader, the man who was previously being beaten.

"Mr. B, there's the prisoner list."

"Ah, thank you." He took the clipboard from the person who handed it to him and looked it over.

Once he was done and brought his gaze up and waved his hand around with the clipboard still in his grasp, those under his command quickly rallying up everyone they could and giving them the guards' weapons if they didn't have one.

"We move onto the next. Come on!"

 **\- Briefing Room, Sand Island -**

 **\- November 25th, 2010 0530 hrs -**

"Well, this is it. Our ground forces will engage in a decisive battle with the enemy's main force in the Jilachi Desert. If our army wins this showdown of military might, we'll be just a hair away from total victory. We've still got some work for you too, so don't slack off now." said Perrault to begin the briefing for the pilots.

Now that Nagase was back safe and sound at Sand Island, her ribs on the path to recovery after being bruised, not broken thankfully like she had first suspected, he had returned to his original personality. They all knew though he had a soft spot, and that was enough for them to tolerate Perrault just a little bit more.

With his piece now done though, the briefer took over to tell them the nitty gritty details of the operation.

"The Osean military's next operation will be spread across the entire Jilachi Desert. It will consist of two simultaneous operations, 'Operation: Desert Arrow' and 'Operation: Desert Blitz'. Wardog will participate in the former operation, while other Osean fighter squadrons will be in the latter. Desert Arrow's final target is at two separate strategic positions; the field HQ in the northern region of the mission area, and the airfield in the western region. A bomber squadron will attack the field headquarters, while the Army 1st Tank Battalion will advance toward the airfield."

Blaze nod his head once and bounced his foot repeatedly up and down on the floor, his blood already starting to boil even before they had gotten to Yuktobania. He was eager to show his Morgan to the unsuspecting Yuktobanian forces.

They had no idea what was coming for them.

"Your mission this time is to protect both units from defending enemy forces. This operation is spread out across the entirety of a wide command area. You'll be up against a large number of enemy forces, so cooperate with the ground forces to achieve overall success. Operation: Desert Arrow commences today at 1050 hours. Dismissed."

 **\- Jilachi Desert, Central Yuktobania -**

 **\- 09°13'59"N 94°34'08"E -**

 **\- November 25th, 2010 1130 -**

"Man, this is outrageous...look at how many people there are here!" exclaimed Chopper in disbelief at the massive concentration of Osean manpower around them.

They had flown into the operation area with the bomber squadron, the large Osean army beneath them turning in the direction of their objective. The squadron itself was already large as is, overkill really according to Blaze, but at least he considered the ground forces to be sufficient.

He found it a little hilarious that their previous mission involved them flying in one end of the spectrum when it comes to habitable environments. It was extremely cold and windy, especially in the case of the snowstorm they flew in. Now they were in a barren, lifeless desert with little to no foliage around, rolling seas of sand dunes and sun-baked salt flats that sparkled from the sun's light.

Blaze made sure to switch the settings of his Morgan to operate better in the arid desert conditions. Sand particles in the air could mess up the engines if he hadn't done so, and that would have been a tragedy if he hadn't been able to showcase his Morgan's true potential.

"But hey, at least this time around the mission we take part in wasn't decided by a damn coin!" laughed Chopper.

"This is Thunderhead. Captain Davenport, how many times do I have to tell you to cut the chatter?" demanded Thunderhead. His aircraft was high above the battlefield so he didn't have to worry about the desert doing anything to him.

"Thunderhead, this is _Razgriz_ 3\. Roger that." Chopper replied, putting heavy emphasis on the demon from legend's name in a slightly snarky attitude.

"What did you just say?"

Nagase, Blaze and Grimm laughed from Thunderhead's utter confusion and lack of understanding of the legend, which made it all the more funnier to them. It was like their own little inside joke that only they would get.

Their laughter didn't last long because they had to focus on the mission, and they returned to their senses just in time for when both groups started.

"Our target is the enemy's field HQ. Initiating bombing run! Viking 1 to support fighters, requesting escort to target!"

"Hawk Division, begin your advance! Target, enemy airfield! Attention air force, requesting close air support for our unit!"

Chopper groaned a little from their simultaneous requests for assistance. "Ugh…"

"I feel like a waiter taking orders in a packed restaurant." uttered Grimm on their own personal channel.

"Yeah, someone please put some roller skates on my feet. 'Can I take your order sir?' Ha! Hilarious." Chopper snorted.

"Alright, alright, we get it Chopper." said Blaze with a chuckle. "To save everyone headaches, we'll split up. Everyone knows the pairs by now, so get it done!"

They all responded with an affirmative and Nagase and Blaze went off to provide aerial cover for the tanks and ground troops while Grimm and Chopper flew overwatch for the bomber squadron.

When Chopper and Grimm arrived at the bomber squadron they were able to get a good look at the B-52s that comprised the large group. They were rather high up, high enough to leave contrails in the sky, which made them rather easy to spot in the air and open to enemy interference with their own jet fighters.

Compared to their fighter jets the B-52s were huge, and the payload they carried was equally as large. Fifty one guided penetration bombs and one hundred and eighty GBU-39 small diameter bombs, that was enough to flatten a small base into oblivion. And considering the squadron consisted of six of the behemoth bombers, the Yuke field HQ, when they arrived there, would be in for a world of hurt.

On the other half of the operation zone, some of the tank commanders who were exposed to the outside through the commander's cupola on their tanks waved and cheered when Blaze and Nagase held in the air above them.

"We'll be alright here. We've got the Sand Island Squadron above us!" announced one of the commanders to the rest of the force.

"Sand Island Squadron?" questioned another. "You're the heroes of the Razgriz Straits?"

"Damn right we are." replied Blaze with a grin. "Wardog 1 and 2 are here at your service."

He showed them off a little as it swooped down over the tanks and ground troops, doing several barrel rolls one after the other so that they could feel the utter power behind the Morgan's massive engines.

The men inside the tanks felt their vehicles shudder from their mights while the commanders and the soldiers outside whooped and cheered for Blaze. That action alone was enough to boost their confidence through the roof.

"Hell yeah! This operation is going to succeed!"

"We're invincible, let's do this!"

The Abrams tanks pulled out ahead of their troops, surging across the sandy salt flats at over thirty miles per hours with their allied ground troops sprinting behind them.

Blaze and Nagase smiled at their enthusiasm, and they remained right overhead as they approached the first line of enemy ground units sent out to stop their advance. At the same time Chopper and Grimm were called upon the lead bomber, Viking 1, to intercept a squadron of enemy fighters closing in on them to shoot them down.

They were the usual Yuke Su-27s and Su-35s, jets that Chopper and Grimm had seen plenty of times before and knew how to deal with them effectively. They could finally let themselves run wild with their Raptors, and the poor enemy pilots couldn't do anything to stop them.

"Fox two!" announced Chopper, his missile taking down a Flanker with ease. Grimm shot down another fighter and the two then moved to the front of the squadron to act as point defense.

"Blaze, we have several enemy signatures approaching the Osean ground forces."

"I see them, Nagase. Attack helicopters and ground attack fighters, probably Fullbacks. You ready?" asked Blaze with a grin.

"I am."

The two unleashed their wrath on the attacking Yuktobanian forces, leaving their ground forces in the dust after they flew forward to clear a path for them. Just a little ways more forward of them was the first of most likely several fortified positions the Osean army would meet on their way to the airfield.

Infantry, tanks, artillery pieces, it had everything the Yukes needed to repel their enemies. But without their air cover to protect them, they will be helpless to stop Nagase and Blaze.

"Nagase, can you handle the jets? I'm gonna help out our ground forces by softening up the enemy!"

He dove away from Nagase's side after shooting down the last helicopter and sped forward towards the Yuke ground forces, the Osean army speeding along beneath him. Blaze locked onto a tank near one end of the defensive line and grinned, taking a mental note.

" _One out, three more to go._ " He fired a single MPBM and one of the tank commanders watched the large missile soar over their heads and detonate in the air over the Yukes.

He had to shield his eyes and lurched forward when the tanks all screeched to a halt at the massive explosion the missile produced. Every single Osean knew just what kind of explosion it was, they had heard of the terror that was the Scinfaxi and its sister ship with their burst missiles.

Only instead of being terrified, seeing the same weapon be used on their enemies with devastating effect, it did the opposite.

After coming to a dead stop the commanders of each tank practically shouted at their drivers to gun it forward at top speed. The infantry was right there alongside them, advancing with the firing of their tanks like the blaring trumpets of a battle charge during the Osean War of ages past.

The shaken and battered Yuke forces were unable to recover from such a blow, and with the Oseans bearing down upon them, they stood no chance. Back at the oYuke field HQ and airfield, they were buzzing around like angry bees, scrambling fighters and fighter bombers left and right under orders to try and stop the advancing enemy as soon as possible to save themselves.

Defensive weapons were being put into place and readied for the eventual approach of the Osean bombers, they knew what was coming with them.

The name "Demons" was being yelled back at them several times over already from their pilots and soldiers before they went to static, and for them that was enough.

The very demons they were scared about were upon them, spearheading their enemies formations.

And these very demons got lost within themselves, their reactions and movements operating their fighters practically coming second nature, on instinct. It seemed like in no time at all both the bombers and the ground forces had reached the halfway markers for the operation.

Chopper and Grimm had unknowingly downed several squadrons of fighters sent to take down the bombers, and Nagase and Blaze had left a trail of devastation in their wake in the form of smoking Yuke tanks and troop positions.

Even Thunderhead had dozed off a little as well, considering by now he had gotten used to the overwhelming success rate of the four Wardog pilots on any mission they went on. He aroused himself from the light nap he was taken just in time for the mission sitrep and he grabbed his set of headphones, clearing his throat.

"We have a sitrep from advancing allied forces. Listen up Wardog."

"This is Viking One of the bomber squadron. Everything is smooth on our end, thanks to your support! A little damage here and there, but nothing bad!"

"This is Hawk One, we've suffered minor damage from aerial attacks as well, but this is no hindrance to our advance."

Chopper shared a little laugh with Grimm as the two halves of the whole squadron formed up together over the only civilized part of the desert, a large area populated by a single road, where on either side were dozens of striking green medallions of crops fed and kept alive by center,-pivot irrigation.

He glanced back over at the smoke columns rising up from the tanks and other fortifications Blaze and Nagase had taken out and chuckled again.

"Hey, Nagase, how many of those enemies did Kid take out on his own?"

"Oh, it couldn't be-"

"I honestly lost count…"

Nagase smiled a little and Blaze grinned cheekily when the truth came out despite trying to act humble, and Grimm laughed at his feeble attempt to play it off.

Blaze had to give in an accept defeat, to the enjoyment of his wingmen since they didn't need him to tell them again just how good he was at claiming kills and dominating the skies.

"I'm tellin' you, Kid could single-handedly turn the tide of this war. It's almost scary." stated Chopper, Blaze rolling his eyes and shrugging.

"Well...I could."

They all shared a laugh at how blatantly truthful he was with the situation. It didn't last long since they had to cater to their respective assigned forces again, drawing ever closer to their intended goals.

The Yukes at this point were frantically scrambling to prevent their airfield and the base from being overtaken by the enemy, so everything was being assembled for their arrival. At the airfield especially, the AA defenses were being put in place and they sent out the last of their squadrons as a last ditch attempt to defend themselves.

There was one squadron left however that had yet to take off, and there was talk of having them retreat from the airspace so they could defend the capital from their last line of defense. Some big-shot who underestimated their enemies however figured they could get it done, and so the order was given for the pilots to get to their jets and be ready for take off. Their jets in particular were shiny and new, sitting idle in a row before the now empty hangars.

From above one could mistake them for Osean F-22A Raptors, considering that jet had a similar design and shape to the ones the Yuke pilots climbed up into. For all intents and purposes, it could very well be Yuktobania's own F-22A with their own unique flair.

"Kvant Squadron, you have clearance for take off. Show them the might of the pinnacle of our country's aircraft design."

The lead pilot of the squadron nod his head and he was the first to shoot off down the runway, taking off into the arid skies above. Eight more jets followed him up and they entered a double finger-four formation with the lead craft at the nose, the jets soaring behind their allies on their way towards the bomber squadron first.

Thunderhead was quick to pinpoint the approaching enemies on radar and warn everyone in the operational area, Blaze and Nagase both seeing them and cursing. A saving grace came to them from the ground, however.

"Fighter aircraft up above, go and assist the bombers! We'll handle ourselves over here, so give them a good beating for us!" announced Hawk 1's commander.

Blaze grinned when he saw the tanker waving his fist up at them from the commander's hatch of his Abrams and he did a barrel roll with his jet as a response. Nagase got on his six without a word and the two sped away from the tanks, flying across the farmland towards the bomber squadron at top speed.

"Whoa, hey! Kid, Nagase, you got here quick!" exclaimed Chopper when they appeared next to them. "Did you really need to-"

"No time Chopper, get ready!"

Blaze took the lead in the formation and they left the company of the bombers to engage the approaching enemy fighters head on, meeting the regular Yuke forces first and putting a wrench in their plans by shooting down the first two Flankers they saw.

It was only when the third fighter went down that the nine man fighter squadron finally caught up to their allies, the sunlight causing their bright white and black painted jets to stand out clearly in the sky.

"This is Kvant 2. Shoot down all enemy bombers and their escort aircraft." ordered the leader to his following aircraft, the nine man squadron splitting off from one another.

Blaze noticed the aircraft and was taken back by how maneuverable they were when he tried to chase after them, growling a little bit to himself when he at first figured they must have been modified F-22As.

He noticed their squadron markings and the unique style that each aircraft shared and he cursed at the recognition. It was Kvant, the squadron Czar led. But for some odd reason he couldn't place the name to any of the jets, none of them had that feeling.

"Damn, these guys are quick! Are these Raptors?!" stammered Chopper. "They sure as hell look like 'em!"

"I don't think they are! We have to be careful!" warned Nagase when a missile just barely avoided hitting her thanks to a timely post-stall maneuver.

"Thunderhead, you have anything?" questioned Blaze, calm as ever.

"We're on it now Blaze, give us some time. We're running a plane analysis now."

Blaze took a breath and pushed the Morgan to its limits, taking advantage of every bit of maneuverability it could offer to keep up with the unknown fighters. He didn't have much time to think and was acting purely on instinct, since the longer they spent fighting the enemy without taking them down, the closer the bombers got. And with that, the chances of the Yuke pilots breaking off to attack the defenseless bombers increased exponentially.

"Nagase, Grimm, Chopper, we can't toy around with these guys. We have to shoot them down!"

He pressed his attack on one of the jets he was chasing after and followed the pilot with every twist and turn he made. But for all the glamor and strength the Morgan showcased, the Yuke fighter was able to stay just a measly step ahead of him and every time he thought he was close to the kill, it escaped his grasp.

Thankfully Thunderhead was able to provide them with a little bit of knowledge to their benefit.

"Analysis confirms the fighter as Yuktobania's first home-grown fifth generation fighter jet known as the Su-57, developed from the PAK-FA program they announced during the summit of 2008 alongside the Scinfaxi submarines."

"So it's the Yuke's attempt to rival Osea's Raptor…" murmured Blaze before he nod his head. "Alright. Everybody, listen up! I've got a plan!"

He quickly chatted with Nagase, Grimm and Chopper about his plan involving his experience with Raptors and figured that if the Su-57s appearance gave one thing away, it was that it was built to function similarly like one. The only problem would be its super-maneuverability, which it had been showcasing upon its arrival in the battle.

Blaze had a counter for that as well, and once everyone was in on the plan, they initiated it. Flying close to one another they focused on one Su-57 at a time, hounding their target with extreme prejudice while fending off anyone that tried to attack them or ruining their efforts with flares or maneuvering.

The pilot they targeted could only avoid them for so long, and eventually he was shot down by the four pilots. They used the same strategy again, and slowly but surely the Su-57s were brought down one by one by Wardog.

As they dropped like flies HQ got in contact with Kvant 2, trying to figure out why the enemies weren't disappearing from radar. The only word he could get out before he was ultimately shot down was the name the Yukes had begun calling Blaze and his squadron.

Razgriz.

"I can see the enemy airfield! Let's give 'em a taste of their own medicine!"

Hawk 1 was the first to announce their attack on the defenseless Yuke airfield, their tanks steamrolling the miniscule amount of resistance and opening the way for their ground troops to secure the facilities.

Once it was accomplished one of the tank commanders ordered his tank to stop so that he could look to the skies in the distance where the bomber squadron was, and where he could see the faintest of air trails through the skies from the dogfighting jets.

"My little brother's flying up there…" he said proudly, his tank's loader glancing up at him.

"Is that right Grimm? Your brother's in the Sand Island Squadron?"

"Yep. I'm real proud of him...take care of yourself Hans."

Unknowingly they were chatting on the open channel and Blaze, and more importantly Grimm, heard the entire exchange and the youngest pilot was instantly filled with fiery determination as well as joy.

"Erich, is that you?" he asked, Grimm's brother a little surprised at his response. When he discovered he hadn't turned his communications off he chuckled and smiled.

"Hey there little brother, how's it going?"

Blaze couldn't help but grin sheepishly as the two brothers shared a rather normal conversation through the midst of battle, like they were at home without a single care in the world. Kvant squadron continued to lose one fighter after the other until finally Nagase downed the last jet and it careened toward the ground a flaming wreck.

At the same time the allied bomber squadron had managed to sidestep the whole battle and had arrived at the enemy headquarters, their bomb bay doors opening wide to allow their payload to free fall toward their targets.

From a distance it looked like the fourth of july on the ground, the brilliant reds, oranges and yellows consuming the base as it was bombed to complete rubble.

They had accomplished the goals of the operation without barely any losses. Of course, that was too easy.

"This is Thunderhead. Enemy AWACS has been detected entering the combat zone. Destroy it and maintain our air superiority over the battlefield." reported Thunderhead from up above, his team giving their pilots the necessary information about the new enemies on their radars.

Once they received a roger from Blaze and the others Thunderhead sat back in his chair and had a sip of coffee, smirking somewhat. His job was pretty much over now, and he and the rest of the crew aboard his AWACS plane got to enjoy the fireworks.

He and a few others chuckled when they intercepted some of the enemy's communications, hearing how terrified they were when they learned about the identity of the ones who took down Kvant. Ohs and Ahs soon followed when Blaze took care of most of the new enemies with the last of his burst missiles and with his squad mates mopped up everything else that remained.

"Enemy AWACS shot down. The enemy's air forces are falling apart." stated Thunderhead once the engagement ended. "Alright, mission complete. You'll be landing at our recently acquired airfield, refuel, and then return home."

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

Operation: Desert Arrow was a success. Yuktobania;s field headquarters and the airfield both fell to our forces. The Osean army is advancing quickly at all fronts and enemy forces in the northern part of the Jilachi Desert are on the verge of being annihilated. The ground forces, fresh from securing the Jilachi area of operations, have set off for Cruik Fortress in their quest to liberate Cinigrad.

"Our ground forces have scored a major victory. If we can destroy the fortress standing in our path, we'll open a road to the capital of Yuktobania. Then we'll storm the heart of the enemy!"

 **\- Sand Island, Hangar 7 -**

 **\- November 25th, 2010 1500 hrs -**

Perhaps it was from the exhilarating battle they participated earlier, or maybe the adrenaline was still pumping a little through their veins. Or maybe their spirits were so high from the success of the operation.

Regardless of the reasons, after they had returned to Sand Island and after they had cleaned themselves and ate their lunch for the day, Nagase and Blaze had nabbed a few essentials and confined themselves to the hangar that held Blaze's Morgan and popped open the canopy. Once inside the somewhat spacious cockpit in the seat, it didn't take long for the two pilots to lose themselves again.

Who knew that sex in a cockpit would be so much fun?


	21. Journey Home

A/N Okay everyone, good news! I now have a fairly good fledged out idea on how to cap this entire story off with Ace Combat 7! The game allowed me to perfectly work out the kinks and establish a plot line that will work well with what ive already established with my four stories!

The bad news is that I WANT TO START WORKING ON IT NOW BUT I HAVE SUCH A LONG WAY TO GO UGGGGGH.

But it will be worth it! I'll be looking forward to it, and I hope you guys do too! Without further ado, I give you the next chapter!

Leave a fav and review! (Especially a review, pretty please)

* * *

 **Chapter 19 - Journey Home**

 _The demon soars through dark skies_

 _Fear and death trail its shadow beneath_

 _Until men united wield a hollowed sabre_

 _In final reckoning, the beast is slain_

* * *

 **\- Crew Break Room, Sand Island -**

 **\- November 29th, 2010 0900 hrs -**

Blaze whistled a tune to himself as he put his coffee pod into the keurig machine in the break room, some other members of the base going about their usual morning routines as well in the background. Some crowded around Grimm and Chopper, who were engaged in a fierce battle at the ping pong table.

And of course Nagase was in her usual spot on the couch reading through her book and jotting down some notes when she remembered a phrase or even a single word of the story.

Blaze glanced back at her and smiled a little at her tranquil expression. Fond memories of their time together a few days ago still resonated within his mind, and he presumed the same was true for her.

" _I'm gonna have to buy a lot of chocolates for you when I get back, dear._ " he thought with a silent chuckle of his wife.

He finished his coffee and grabbed the mug, a second one too, and carried them over to the couch where he presented the second mug to Nagase.

She set her book down and took it, smiling at him as he took a seat next to her and crossed one leg over the other. It was nice to enjoy some downtime, and they had gotten quite a good amount of it since their successful operation over the Jilachi Desert.

Wardog had been presumably cleared of what they were framed for over Dresdene, since they hadn't been called back to the capital or questioned by anyone since then. It felt nice, having a sense of normalcy back.

 **\- Cinigrad, Capital of Yuktobania -**

 **\- Same time -**

Yuke generals and other military and government officials argued with one another loudly over the next course of action. The enemy was almost to the doorstep of their capital, so they had to worry about preparing their last line of defense not only at Cruik Fortress, but within the capital itself.

Underground bunkers had to be readied for the citizens and drills to manage them when the time came had to be formed. There were those as well who were still furious with Osea about the attack on Dresdene and still desired revenge on their enemy, since the force sent to Apito had been wiped out and their special forces in Bana City were captured.

Then the doors to the command room were thrown open and they were all shut up when a single man, his figure a silhouette from the bright lights outside in the hallway. He cleared his throat and with a slight adjustment of something on his face, he addressed all of the men in the room in utterly perfect Yuktobanian.

"Gentlemen, I believe I know of a way to help solve this debacle."

 **\- Briefing Room, Sand Island -**

 **\- November 29th, 2010 1454 hrs -**

Blaze was a little put off by how their base commander upon entering the briefing room and closing the door, looked a bit...flustered. Once the briefer had settled himself on the other side of the projector screen he coughed and adjusted his posture.

"We're holding a peace ceremony at a stadium in November City. Our Vice President will be giving a speech to rally the citizens. Now, uh...you've been asked to do a fly-by above te ceremony."

Blaze's eyes widened and he shared equal looks of shock with Chopper, Nagase and Grimm before Perrault snagged their attention again by raising his voice.

"Don't screw this up! You should consider this an honor, and do your part to boost citizen morale! This is the Vice President we're dealing with here, so consider this a guard detail as well, and be prepared for anything out there."

Perrault gave a nod to the briefer and he took over.

"Your mission this time takes place above November International Stadium, a gigantic seventy thousand seat arena located in the center of the city of November, on the southern coastline of Osea."

Blaze leaned forward in his chair, elbows on his knees, as the map focused on the specific city and marked out the stadium itself. He found it ironic that their next operation would be taking place over the city where he had his apartment, and smirked a tiny bit.

"Vice President Appelrouth is giving a speech there, and you will be conducting a fly-by above the stadium as part of the production. You can return to base at 1730 hours, the time the speech is scheduled to end." continued the briefer, Chopper rolling his eyes in disdain of Appelrouth.

"After the fly-by, remain in formation and conduct a combat air patrol in and around the stadium until that time. This is a ceremonial flight, but you will be fully armed in case of an emergency. Dismissed."

 **\- November City, Southern Osea -**

 **\- 03°08'27"S 186°02'54"E -**

 **\- November 29th, 20110 1700 hrs -**

The trip from Sand Island to the mainland had been a less then eventful one, with the four pilots talking amongst themselves and with Thunderhead, who had been dispatched with them like usual.

Eventually however they finally were on approach to the large city, November being one of the largest in the whole continent. As they came up to the city from the east, Grimm let out a sigh of happiness from his craft, even performing a short barrel roll to physically show his happiness.

"I'm proud to be able to fly like this." he remarked joyfully.

"You and me both, Grimm. I feel like a superstar." snickered Chopper. Their formation had Chopper and Grimm on the sides like usual, but instead of Blaze leading it was Nagase again, who was put there by Blaze's insistence.

"Are you sure you want me to lead Blaze?"

"You'll be fine, I trust you." replied Blaze, grinning. "And besides, I've never been one for these formal occasions anyways. No one's goin to be able to tell from the ground."

Nagase smiled a little and finally let herself accept the role as point leader, taking the squadron forward while Blaze returned to his original trail position back when they were all still under Bartlett's care.

If only he could see just how far they had come since then.

"This is a ceremonial flight, so watch your manners Kid."

Blaze chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I hear you Motormouth. Thanks for reminding me for the upteenth time."

They all laughed, Chopper the hardest.

"Everyone, form up and don't stray apart from each other." stated Nagase, embracing her temporary flight lead role. "Alright, let's begin."

Thunderhead received the affirmative and after double checking that their timing was right on the money, he gave the all clear to the pilots to begin.

"It's time, begin your ceremonial flight."

Nagase began by entering a slow and steady climb as they passed over the outskirts of November City, the residential homes and neighborhoods moving by below them. They dipped back down slightly in unison and Chopper grinned happily as he watched them all move around like true experts.

"Nice Kid, we look great!" he exclaimed.

Blaze could see the stadium up ahead, blue lights shining up into the skies like there was a football game getting ready to start. He had watched a couple games where November's home team, the Warriors, defended their home turf against other Osean football teams, and he always had a fun time.

But this was no football game fly-by, this was one of higher prestige. Because of that higher importance level, he couldn't stop himself from smiling so stupidly like a kid who had just gotten a chocolate bar. He'd never gotten the chance to do something like this in his life, so he was enjoying every second of it.

The stadium was upon them in an instant and to the flashes of thousands of cameras below from the crowd and the news reporters on scene, he and his squadron soared over the stadium for the first part of their fly-by.

Once accomplished they turned back around, remaining tightly packed, and for the second half they added just a bit more flare by Chopper and Grimm splitting off to the right and left respectfully, Nagase flying right down the middle, and Blaze taking it upon himself to be the star of the show.

He stalled his engines right over the stadium and performed a flashy post-stall maneuver, his plane literally flipping end over end, that awed the crowds, the roar of his Morgan's engines rattling the whole stadium when he soared off to join the rest of his team.

"Woohoo! That was badass!" cheered Chopper, clapping his hands loudly.

"Of course the Captain stole the show of course." added Grimm with a laugh, Blaze doing so too.

"Hey, when you're _this_ good, you can afford to do that!"

They joked around with one another as they entered their predetermined patrol route, Thunderhead adding his own card to the pilee by congratulating them on their performance.

"This marks the end of your flight. Good work, Wardog."

"You wouldn't expect any less from this group."

Starting their patrol, Thunderhead had his crew link themselves up to the live broadcast within the stadium and heard commentators for the news speak of Appelrouth approaching the podium to begin his speech. Despite his status they found it still a little odd that there was no mention or sighting of the President at all, especially considering the weight of the speech.

They disregarded it for now, and focused on listening to the speech, just like the hundred of thousands of Oseans across the country.

"People of Osea...please, lend an ear to this broadcast. As your Vice President, I stand here on behalf of the President of Osea. Listen to your fellow countrymen cheering before me. They are filled with anger against Yuktobania, and they swear that they will not drop their weapons until Yuktobania has surrendered."

Blaze rolled his eyes a little bit, the speech to him just one of those usual war-time speeches. This wasn't the first he had heard.

"Now, I ask you to listen. Listen to their cheers!" declared Appelrouth, expecting the roar of the crowd after his booming voice faded.

"And here comes the thunderous applause…" muttered Chopper.

Against all of their expectations, they got the exact opposite. Starting slowly at first, but then grew louder and louder as more of the crowd joined in, like a snowball rolling down a mountainside, the people of Osea began to sing.

Blaze at first didn't recognize what they were singing, but eventually it became clear moments later. It wasn't a song of patriotism, or war-time strength, or power. It was one of peace, of anti-war sentiment...an act of united defiance against the war with their former ally.

Nagase gasped when she too had that revelation of the song's identity, and then Grimm and Chopper too.

The Journey Home. That's what the song's title was. And when lyrics became noticeable, Blaze had another revelation when he noticed similarities between the anti-war song and Nagase's book.

"Wait, that song...citizens, please, stop this!" stammered the Vice President before his voice was drowned out by the crowd.

The song had so much meaning and power behind it that even Chopper started to sing along, swaying his head back and forth to it.

Even if his singing voice was less then stellar.

"Thoughts endless in flight, day turns to night…"

"That isn't exactly Rock 'n' Roll, you know." mentioned Grimm with a chuckle.

"Who cares?" Chopper said. "Hey, they wanna get along with the enemy too, right? Man, this song's got soul!"

Without warning, enemy detection alerts started going off within Thunderhead's craft, the crew scrambling to identify who was entering their airspace. He got to work immediately, connecting to Wardog's radars and sending them the data as it came in.

"Wait...oh no!"

They saw the large concentration of enemy signatures approaching the city from the same vector they came from for their fly-by, Blaze gripping his flight stick tightly.

Attacking a civilian airport with an invasion force and spreading chemical weapons on a college town was one thing, but sending an entire air force to a city without any military presence, in the middle of a speech? That's the last straw.

"This is Thunderhead. Approaching enemy formation confirmed. Wardog, engage them."

"Stadium in sight." spoke a Yuke pilot to his allies from his Su-33. "Secure the airspace until the Gorizont Squadron arrives. Go."

His squadron of Su-33s, along with a second squadron, increased their speed to meet Blaze and his squadron head on as the vanguard force ahead of their allies, that trickled into the airspace a little bit afterwards.

"Are we...the only allies here?" asked Nagase worriedly, her eyes falling to her radar.

"McNealy Air Force Base tried to scramble fighters, but the runway was blocked after someone crashed on takeoff. I'm calling for reinforcements now. It'll be six minutes before the nearest squadron arrives."

"*Shit...alright then. There's no choice." thought Blaze. His Morgan's MPBMs had been replaced for the operation, based off a hunch he had, and he was glad he had it.

He didn't need collateral damage caused by the burst missiles to add to the long list of things hanging over his head.

"So we're on our own then?" questioned Grimm.

"Seems like we are. Get ready everyone, gather your wits about you. We can't let the fighters get close to the stadium, and accept the fact that...that we'll be downing some of these aircraft over the city. Let's go!"

He took the lead as he sped away from the squadron with them to meet the enemy head on, to attempt to take down as many as they could over the less densely packed areas of November.

Blaze took a deep breath and closed his eyes for but a moment. Within that moment, he was at utter peace with himself and what was about to happen. He recognized the enemy's strength, and acknowledged his own. There was no way he was going to let them have their way, this was nothing compared to what he has had to face in the past.

Then, he opened his eyes. "Wardog, engage."

They and the Yuke pilots met one another at the same time, the four pilots spreading out to engage them and to compensate for their small size compared to the Yukes. Blaze was already able to shoot down two of the Su-33s, and Chopper followed up with a kill of his own, but the situation didn't get better.

For every aircraft they shot down, another one, or even two at a time, took its place. More Yuke aircraft continued to enter the airspace and despite Grimm, Nagase and Chopper working together, as well as Blaze flying effortlessly through the enemy's ranks, they started to get pushed back.

Meanwhile Thunderhead had gotten in contact with officials in the stadium and in the city, telling them of the dire situation occurring right then in the city. Evacuation efforts started almost instantly, and chatter between the stadium staff began almost just as quickly.

"Are you sure those planes are headed for this stadium?"

"How could they time this so well? Were they listening to the speech too?!"

"Is this the Yuke's way of expressing their opinion of the speech?"

Once that had began, Thunderhead returned his attention to Wardog, who had downed a considerable amount of aircraft already but were still in the thick of battle.

"Your objective is to keep civilian casualties-" He had to pause when one of the Yuke fighters was confirmed down in the middle of a neighborhood. "...casualties as low as you possibly can."

"There's too many of them! We can't take this for much longer!" shouted Grimm when he was momentarily overwhelmed by a pair of Su-33s chasing him.

Chopper shot them down and blew past Grimm to go assist Nagase, his jet's right wing already having a few bullet holes in it.

"Just keep fighting! Shoot down as many as you can until reinforcements arrive!"

As they continued to fight for their very lives, more Yuke reinforcements entered the airspace and talked amongst themselves for a few short moments on approach.

"Just like the intelligence said." spoke one pilot. "There's only four of them."

"That may be enough. These are the Razgriz after all."

Nagase growled as she suffered some cannon fire damage from a Yuke fighter that tried to strafe her. "I feel like we're being sent to die as some sacrifice!"

She shot down her ninth fighter, but it did nothing to lessen the amount of enemies in the air. They had already been pushed back to the beginnings of the city, and her heart tightened within her chest with each kill she confirmed.

There was a life damaged or taken with each one, and she couldn't even begin to imagine what happened on the ground once the aircraft crashed.

"Three minutes until reinforcements arrive, just hold on!" reassured Thunderhead, still holding onto hope.

The clock ticked away and the pilots kept suffering tiny amounts of damage with each passing second until a wrench was thrown harshly into the mix. Chopper clutched his head and Blaze almost bit his tongue when their radios shrieked with interference and their HUDs and radars became a jumbled mess.

Unlike past instances of enemy interference, they could all still hear and talk to one another, and when Thunderhead attempted to find the enemy AWACS, his search radar came up empty.

Then a voice emerged from the chaos.

"Attention, all units approaching November City. I guess they had us going too."

On the other side of the city, beyond the outskirts and further inland, the source of the voice spoke from his fighter jet. He and his squadron slowly circled, a slight grin spreading across his face.

"What? Who is this?" demanded Thunderhead.

"That was a pretty good drill they got going there. Anyways, drill's over. Return to base."

He ended his communication link to the fast approaching allied fighters coming to Wardog's aid and left the area with his squadron.

"What are you talking about! There is no drill!" bellowed Thunderhead, angrilly banging his fists on the nearest object.

All he and his crew got was static, Thunderhead whirling around and beckoning them to get back in contact with them. Once the link was restored and everything returned to normal, his heart skipped a beat when he saw the allied fighters start to go away from November City on his long range radar.

"The allied planes aren't coming! What's going on?!" frantically asked Grimm as the situation quickly began to disintegrate.

"Reinforcements are on the way, just hang on!" replied Thunderhead before barking orders to get into contact with their allies again, his composure melting. "Come on, come on, dammit! None of the bases are responding to me! What don't you understand?! There's an air battle above the stadium!"

Blaze barked his own orders to his wingmen as they continued the fight, the Yukes having pushed them back within a ten mile radius of the stadium where they could see the chaos erupting on the ground. People were running left and right, cars were either stopped from the sheer amount of traffic or speeding around as fast as they could.

The stadium officials communicated the escape of the Vice President and resolved to stay and continue the evacuation of the stadium, which was still packed with over fifty thousand people.

The whole situation got even worse when a ten man squadron emerged on radar, escorted by more fighter aircraft. What was bad about it was that after identifying what they were, the Yuke's plan was fully brought out into the light for all to see.

"New enemy formation detected. It's a flight of enemy bombers..." informed Thunderhead with a pale expression.

These weren't Fullbacks, or even Frogfoots. The Yukes had brought the heavy hitters, Tu-160s, a whole lot of them. They weren't just planning on attacking the stadium, the whole city was their target.

"They're dead set on crushing us both physically and politically!" snarled Chopper, avoiding two missiles at the same time.

"Gorizont 1, the sky isn't sanitized yet, but go ahead and continue your attack."

"Roger. Commencing attack run."

"Somebody help me!" pleaded Grimm as a fifth fighter got onto his tail, a missile narrowly avoiding one of his wings.

"Hold on Grimm!"

Nagase came to his rescue just in the nick of time, using 4AAMs to bring down most of the fighters while she ripped apart the last with her gun. She suffered more damage as a cost and was subsequently targeted herself, her plane shaking heavily when a missile exploded too close for comfort.

Blaze growled when he had to make a tough decision and leave his squadron to attack the bombers before they got to the actual city. Leaving it to them, he rushed toward the 160s and and let out an animalistic war cry.

One missile shattered the second bomber to the left of the leader, while the others scattered themselves out to drag out their lives as much as possible so they could let their payloads go.

"Don't run away from me!" he roared, chasing down another bomber and ripping apart its wing with his cannon.

To his rising anger the bombers, regardless of what laid before them, opened their bomb bays and began to release their payload. This pushed Blaze to go even faster and try to shoot them all down, his heart breaking piece by piece as each bomb was released.

At the same time his three wingmen were scratching and clawing their way toward survival, smoke from the fighter jets they down into the city and buildings below them filling the sky. To think the situation couldn't possibly get any worse, it did.

"Chopper look out!"

"Gah, fuck!"

Chopper was jostled around heavily when a missile struck his raptor and shattered one of the vertical stabilizers and severely damaged the right wing. The right engine was barely functioning too and sputtering black clouds of smoke that left a trail behind him screaming 'shoot me, shoot me!'.

"Are you alright?! Chopper!' asked Grimm worriedly.

"A-Ahhaha, it's nothing to worry about. I'm not wounded, I can keep this plane up a little longer!" responded Chopper, laughing to ward off the sheer terror gripping his heart.

"Negative, bail out Captain Davenport! You can't get hit again!"

"But all I see are houses and buildings! I can't drop this plane yet!" barked back Chopper. "Do you see anywhere I can drop it?"

Nagase shot down a pair of fighters that were attempting to target Grimm and she made a quick scan of the skyline before fixing her eyes on November International Stadium.

It was the only way.

"The stadium, Chopper. Do you hear me?"

By then the Yukes had communicated to their allies that one of the Razgriz planes was smoking, which only served to boost their morale even more. The demons weren't invincible, they could be hurt.

At the same time Blaze downed the last bomber thankfully before it reached too far into the city, but by then there had already been widespread damage and he could see emergency services swarming to te neighborhoods and commercial centers they indiscriminately bombed.

The casualties must be staggering, there could have been anyone there. Men, women, children, it was swarming around in his head all at once.

"Fuck! Fucking shit!" he snarled, his Morgan speeding back to his wingmen only to see Chopper trailing smoke.

He had been so focused he didn't even realize what had happened until he saw it for himself.

"Roger, good idea...gives me some hope that I just might make it. I'd better wait for the crowd to evacuate some more though." uttered Chopper, his plane just barely hovering in a holding pattern now.

"New objective, protect the stadium and Chopper. Don't let a single fucking fighter past!"

Blaze's order was executed by Nagase and Grimm without any hesitation, the three circling the stadium like angry hornets that just had their nest disturbed.

"...We've just called back the allied fighters." said Thunderhead, growling into his hand. He was still angry about what happened, and confused too as to who or what could've managed to make it happen.

"A little too late, man." responded Chopper snarkily. "There goes the radar...circuits are toast…"

He rattled off every problem that occured with his jet as he continuously lost thrust in his engines, the damage so severe the warning sirens made it impossible to think in his cockpit.

"Look, forget about it! Chopper, just bail out. Please, bail out!" cried Nagase, fearing for his life.

"I guess now's the time…"

Chopper maneuvered his dying aircraft as best as he could, Thunderhead just now getting a grasp of the situation and watching closely on the edge of his seat.

"This is Thunderhead. Captain Davenport, are you alright?"

He didn't respond to his question, only the warning sirens being the answer he gave. Thunderhead balled his fingers into fists and he growled, the rest of his crew paying attention and watching too.

"There's the stadium." said Chopper to himself. "I'm dropping the plane over there, right in the center."

"Roger, now get out." ordered Nagase, on the verge of losing her cool.

Chopper grunted a little when a small gust of wind hit his plane. The sirens wouldn't shut up about the problems he could clearly see for himself, but he pushed that aside and set his sights solely on the stadium.

His friends were doing a great job at allowing him to not worry about being shot down, he was thankful for that. When he figured it was the right time, he went to blow the canopy but all he got back was an error message.

Chopper tried again, another error message. He tried over and over three times in a row, but the canopy still wouldn't bow off.

"...I can't."

"You what? Chopper, get out!" ordered Blaze harshly, more out of fear then hate. "That's an order!"

"The electrical system's all messed up. The canopy on't blow.". Chopper looked down at his ejection seat, adjusting his feet slightly, and let out a sigh. "The ejection seat is probably not working either."

It was do or die now, and everyone was starting to feel the pressure. Even Thunderhead lost his cool, forgetting his composure entirely and gripped the arms of his chair to the point his knuckles turned white.

"Don't give up, Chopper! Keep trying! Chopper!"

It was already too late, Chopper knew it first. He wasn't getting any response now, this was it. Who would've thought it would be now when he finally got to hear his call sign be used by Thunderhead.

He even let out a little laugh from the hilarity of it.

"Heh...I'm gonna miss that voice…" he murmured before he let go of the flight stick.

Without his hands to keep it in place, his Raptor entered a frantic spiral as it fell from the sky. Blaze, Nagase, everyone watched utterly horrified as his plane plummeted toward the stadium, letting out some inhuman screech as the metal tore itself apart.

In the split second before darkness overtook him, Chopper closed his eyes and thought of all the happy memories he had obtained over his life.

His family, his friends. Even Bartlett getting on his ass brought a smile to his face. Then his time with Blaze, Nagase, and Grimm, all the jokes he had made and the smiles he had seen.

The laughs they had shared. It was so...heartwarming.

Boom.

To the people still in the stadium, it felt like they got punched in the chest with a wall of air when his jet crashed into the center of the stadium. Tongues of fire lanced out in all direction, licking the grass of the field and igniting it, the impact alone sending creating a wide cavity in the one pristine football field.

Then the whole world went silent. They all screamed his name, but they couldn't even hear themselves. It was like a mute button had been pressed for the entire world on some cosmic controller, everything was just dead silent.

Grimm was crying.

Nagase was crying and wailing.

Blaze was consumed by apocalyptic visions of his past, of an F-16C exploding right in front of his face, of a cold and snow day, the feeling of burning hot lava being poured down his throat.

" _I've got a girlfriend back at the base. I'm going to propose to her when we get back. I even bought flowers!_ "

This was to be the third time in his entire life that he cried with such intensity.

"D-Dammit...I hate to say this now...but…" muttered Thunderhead as he stared at his radar screen. "There's a second wave approaching...all units...en...eng…"

He couldn't even get the last word out before he covered his face with his hand, unable to speak. His crew watched him silently, grieving in their own ways from the sudden shock of Chopper's death.

"These guys are no demons! We can take them!"

The Yukes rallied behind one another at Chopper's death, forming up with their reinforcements to attack the remaining three pilots as one combined force. Even with the loss of their bombers, they could still accomplish their primary mission and be out of the airspace before reinforcements arrived.

They forgot about one thing, however.

What they had just done was kill the heart and soul of their enemy. The glue that held them all together, the sun to their world. And now, with him gone, they had unleashed something terrifying.

With shaking hands, and boiling rage that could practically be seen visibly, tears staining his cheeks, and with vision that turned blood red, Blaze snapped.

If they thought of them as Demons, he would prove them right.

"...Razgriz…"

He uttered the word, only the name. Blaze didn't address Nagase or Grimm by their names, because he already knew they were listening.

What they wished for didn't come in some long, drawn out order. No words of heroic sacrifice were given. Everything that them human was withdrawn, and replaced by pure, unbridled rage and bloodthirst.

"Kill."

They all gunned it towards the Yuke fighters bearing down upon them. What happened next could only be described as a bloodbath. Despite their number advantage, the Yukes were savagely shot down one by one by the three pilots.

One missile was what it took to neutralize the threat, and then a second one turned the jet into a fireball. Blaze snarled loudly as he chased down a jet Nagase had shot down and riddled its cockpit with bullets, turning the glass red.

Grimm followed behind them by shooting down four Su-33s back, to back, to back, to back, ensuring every single pilot was a confirmed kill.

Now the Yukes realized the gravity of the situation.

"T-This is the true power of the Razgriz?!"

"Don't lose your confidence! We can still take-"

His radio went silent when Nagase and Blaze converged on him from either side and each used a missile to annihilate him.

"Help me! One of them is on my tail! Gyaaagh!"

The Yuke pilot was killed instantly when the missile fired by Grimm struck the cockpit during his attempt to avoid it. Grimm hardly batted an eyelash, his teeth grinding together as his bloodlust took him to hix next prey.

They were no match.

The Wardog pilots, consumed by unholy rage akin to that of the very Demon of Razgriz itself, massacred the unfortunate Yuke souls. Even when they attempted to escape, Thunderhead didn't even say a word as he watched Nagase, Grimm and Blaze chase them down and kill them.

He only spoke when the three pilots returned to the airspace above the stadium, forming up silently after they had finished their meal.

"Go down there..." he said in almost a whisper.

The officer next to him didn't ask for clarification, he went straight to the pilots of the E-767 and told them exactly what they needed to do.

The large plane descended from the heavens above until it leveled itself out at the same altitude as Blaze and the others. The three pilots then joined Thunderhead's craft, still dead silent.

"Wardog…" murmured Thunderhead, the words he wanted to say struggling to exit his wavering lips. "Thank you...for holding out on us. The allied reinforcements are here."

Grimm's shoulders slumped and he closed his eyes, mourning silently for his best friend. Nagase had to pull her visor up and she tore her oxygen mask off to cover her face with her hands as she kept crying.

And Blaze could only look at the crash site within the stadium, his body as rigid as stone.

"He…" choked Thunderhead. "He was...a model fighter pilot to the end. Please, join me in saluting...Captain Davenport!"

As the allied fighters he called in to support them zoomed past them over the city, he stood from his chair with shaking legs and saluted. The rest of his crew aboard the 767 followed suite, out of honor and respect for their fallen comrade.

Grimm and Nagase were unable to do so, but Blaze, through his own tears and sadness, slowly raise a single hand to his head and saluted the memory of his friend and wingman.

All of a sudden a blur zoomed past them at high speeds, Blaze only having just enough time to catch a glimpse of it as it did. Forward swept wings and canards. A dark brown and grey camouflage pattern with white and yellow markings along the wing tips.

Before he could react, the unknown fighter launched a single missile right at the stadium before veering off at a sharp angle to flee the scene.

It was a split second decision, either chase down the fighter or the missile to prevent any more civilian casualties. He chose the latter.

"Blaze!" cried out Nagase when he took off after the missile, the Morgan's speed allowing it to catch up.

Blaze tried to shoot it down with his gun, but when he held his hand on the trigger, only a loud clicking sound came back to him. Then the following 'GUN EMPTY' signal flashed on his HUD, which made him try to use a missile to shoot it down, but a similar message flashed back at him.

He had a dry plane...and only one option left.

"I'm sorry...everyone."

"Wait, Captain! What are you-"

Blaze pulled hard on the flight stick and closed his eyes as the missile connected with the center of his Morgan, the explosion ripping the plane completely in half. The engines and wings went flying through a building, leaving fire and devastation in its wake, before landing somewhere to the left of the stadium.

The cockpit and upper portion of the body fell down into the streets below in front of the stadium and smashed into the road, upturning an empty car and skidding across the concrete until it came to a stop on the sidewalk around a huge crowd of people and emergency service vehicles.

Grimm, Nagase and Thunderhead were speechless.

What...?

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

Vice President Appelrouth escaped from the stadium in his personal vehicle. Civilian casualties, somehow, did not exceed the hundreds, despite enemy bomber attacks and the late arrival of reinforcements. The Yuktobanian fighters' ingress route is currently under investigation. Captain Davenport and Major "Blaze", who lost their lives in the battle, are no longer with the team. They have been granted a posthumous two rank promotion, and Major Blaze has been awarded the Medal of Honor for the sacrifice he made for the country of Osea.

 **\- Sand Island -**

 **\- November 29th, 2010 1752 hrs -**

Gennette watched with Pops and some of the mechanics from one of the hangars as two fighters returned back to Sand Island, recognizing them as Nagase and Grimm's. They landed on the runway through the rain that came down over the base, the sky dark and grey.

"Hey, where's Blaze? And Chopper?" he asked when Nagase and Grimm approached them.

Their eyes looked to the ground, and they hardly seemed coherent of the rain that matted down their hair and soaked their flight suits. They brushed past them without saying a single word, nor did they bring their gazes up to make eye contact with anyone. Pops watched them for a few moments until they entered while Gennette looked back outside, waiting to hear the sound of two more jets on approach with the base.

All he heard was the soft patter of rain, and nothing else.

Gennette instantly felt a lump develop in his throat and his chest tightened up, the truth hitting him like a brick to the face.

Blaze and Chopper were never going to return to Sand Island.

They were gone.

Pops realized it soon after as well and he dropped the wrench in his hand, Gennette and some of the mechanics flinching when it struck the ground with a loud metal clang.

He rubbed his chin in total disbelief and turned to the mechanics under his care, unable to formulate a sentence at first.

"I...I guess I better break the news to everyone. You all, just...work on something…"

While he walked away Gennette continued to look outside, rooted to the spot.

There was only two now.


	22. Dogs Like Us

A/N Leave a fav and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 20 - Dogs Like Us**

 _The demon soars through dark skies_

 _Fear and death trail its shadow beneath_

 _Until men united wield a hollowed sabre_

 _In final reckoning, the beast is slain_

* * *

The streets around November International Stadium were still rife with chaos from the air attack that had just consumed the city. The only information that people knew was that a jet had crashed in the center of the stadium, some neighborhoods had been bombed near the outlying edge of the city, and enemy fighter jets had crashed all over November and caused heavy damage.

Emergency services were spread thin, attempting to keep the peace and trying to handle all of the damage caused from the battle. When the fighter jet that had sacrificed itself to be a shield for the missile fired at the front entrance of the stadium, and had gone down close by as a result, dozens of ordinary people flocked the crash site like ants.

Some pulled rubble away, others helped clear a path for a firetruck to make its way over close enough to have immediate access.

A man then pushed his way through the crowd rather forcefully, apologizing along the way, before he was finally stopped by an Osean police officer who had just gotten there. They shared a short exchange before the first man held up an identification card for the officer to inspect. It only took a quick glance for the officer to step aside and let him into the immediate crash site, where the firemen had taken over the operation.

An ambulance arrived soon after the pilot had been pulled from the wrecked cockpit to bring a gurney over to carry him on.

The man was quick to inform them of who he was and once they confirmed his identity they allowed him to climb into the ambulance with the pilot. When the doors were closed, he pulled out his cellphone and made a call, looking at the barely breathing pilot the entire time.

"Don't worry, I'm gonna get you outta here."

 **\- Sand Island -**

 **\- December 5th, 2010 1621 hrs -**

Pops and Gennette were gazing at a partially taken apart Su-27, specifically one of the unused fighters that was confiscated by Osean ground troops in the Jilachi Desert campaign. Pops was able to pull a few strings, as well as a favor from Hamilton, and had gotten the jet sent to the island for Pops and his crew to examine.

What they found was rather surprising, to Pops that is.

"Will you look at that...I'm amazed they're still making them like this." he remarked as he wiped his hands against his pant legs. His crew had gone off to take a break at his request, so it was just the two of them there.

"What do you mean?" questioned Gennette. "It looks like any other fighter jet."

"Emphasis on 'looks'. It certainly does look like a standard fighter jet, but it's actually different." explained Pops. "They've done a lot to reduce the number of parts and cut down manufacturing costs, without sacrificing the plane's strength and performance. Very cost effective...you could build three planes for the price of two this way."

Pops finished wiping his hands and crossed his arms over his chest, Gennette turning to look at him with visible confusion.

"Who is this 'they' you're referring to?"

Pops approached the jet and pulled aside one of the tarp flaps draping the cockpit, exposing a piece of the interior workings in the nose to point to a company logo painted onto the metal.

"North Osea Gründer Industries. Formerly the South Belka Munitions Factory, run by the Belkan government." Pops replied, confusing Genette even more.

"But Osea's taken over that land now. South Belkan technology is being used for Osea. Why would Yuktobania have this?"

"Good question." answered Pops, dropping the tarp back down. "Actually, speaking of Belka...Osea recruited some Belkan aces after the war fifteen years ago to strengthen our air force. You know about this?"

Genette's uncertainty morphed into intrigue in the blink of an eye, that bit of information enough to reel him in and seek more answers from the mechanic.

Hearing this coming from a mechanic of all people was enough to start questioning Pops as a person, trying to figure out how he was able to get all of this rather sensitive information. Perhaps he requested it through Hamilton? Or maybe he had some buddies back on mainland Osea that found it out for him, dug into some files a mechanic probably shouldn't know about.

"No...really?"

Pops nod his head and took a seat on a crate close by, patting his legs and looking at Gennette again.

"An aggressor squadron comprised entirely of Belkan aces...our old enemy. Well, that's the rumor anyways." said Pops with a smile when Kirk trotted over.

Now that Chopper was gone, out of remembrance and thanks for the pilot he had taken over as Kirk's owner, being sure he was fed and taken out whenever he needed it.

"Even an old fox like me isn't sure they exist. I bet the current administration isn't even aware of the story."

 **\- Briefing Room -**

 **\- December 6th, 2010 0918 hrs -**

"Before the Osean ground forces can proceed into the Yuktobanian capital of Cinigrad, they'll have to deal with Cruik Fortress directly in their path."

Nagase and Grimm sat in their usual chairs, staring at the projector screen a the briefer talked them through their next operation. To Perrault, who was there like usual too, the briefer was perfectly clear in everything he said, but to the two pilots it was silent.

The whole room was muted, and the voice of the briefer was distant and muffled. Their gazes were empty, devoid of any emotion or life for that matter, it was impossible to tell what they were thinking about if one were to look at them right in the eyes and observe.

The truth is that they weren't thinking off anything, not of what the briefer was saying, not of the operation itself, they couldn't even remember how or when they had woken up that morning. It was if a hazy, dense fog had come down over the two pilots, blinding their senses from the surrounding world.

It was bad enough that they had lost the heart and soul of their team in the form of Chopper, the loudmouthed, prankster of a pilot that was always listening to rock and roll in his room, messing around with the mechanics or playing ping pong with Grimm over dozens of rounds. He breathed life into their weary bodies when they needed it with his optimism, but now he was gone.

It was the loss of their flight lead that had drove the knife deeper into their chest and pierced their hearts. Whereas Chopper was the glue that held them together, Blaze was the beacon of light that lead them through the darkness of night and to the morning sun.

He was caring, yet firm and hard-nosed when he needed to be. They all knew he had skeletons in his closet, but he not once let them take control and he worried more about their own well being then his own. Blaze was also an exceptional pilot, one of the most skilled they had ever seen.

Nagase had cried in her room for the rest of the day when they returned, and it was not only these reasons but the most damning one of all to her. Blaze had a wie, somewhere out there, expecting for him to return home after the war so that she could shower him with love and affection.

Now it was never going to happen.

"Deal a decisive blow to the fortress and support the ground forces as they penetrate the fortress. Open the door to Cruik. The day of Cinigrad's liberation is here. Dismissed."

 **\- Unknown Location -**

 **\- December 6th, 2010 1011 hrs -**

Blaze was on his back in a white bed, the sheets pulled up to his chest. His breaths were soft but a little on the raspy side. The entire right side of his body, from around his neck to across his chest and over his shoulder, and down his thigh to his knee cap was wrapped in bandages. His right arm was trapped inside of a cast, limiting it to a ninety degree bend.

He had a pulse monitor on his left index finger linked to the medical equipment set up right next to the bed. It was very modern, even more so then equipment in Osea or other well developed nations, and with each time Blaze breathed the heart rate monitor made a soft beep.

On his chest, the part left uncovered by bandages and open to the air since he wore no shirt, a multitude of stitches and bandages dominated his skin from shrapnel wounds.

Then his hand twitched.

Blaze groaned and tried to open his eyes, and immediately shut them again when he was blinded by the bright lights of the room. He felt around a little with his left hand, touching the hospital bed and the sheets covering him, and slowly he began to open his eyes again to let his eyesight adjust.

" _Where...where the hell am I…?_ " he thought before he yelped loudly.

He tried to move his right arm but found himself unable to, due to the cast, but the slight movement he did make was enough to give him pins and needles shooting up and down his arm into his shoulder blade.

"Fuck...that hurt…" he cursed when he rolled onto his other side and grunted.

He used his good hand to push himself up while blinking and investigating the white room for anything that could be familiar to him, or give him a clue as to where he was.

"Good, you're awake."

Blaze blinked once more and brought his gaze over the door right as the fuzzy outline of a person walked inside. He had to wipe his eyes when they began to water, this momentary loss of vision allowing the man to close the door behind him and approach the bed.

Despite still being unable to see for the time being, he coughed a little and grunted when he moved his right arm again by accident.

"Where am I…?" Blaze asked, sucking in a breath. "And what the fuck happened to me that it hurts so much?"

"You're in a medical room, recovering from the injuries you sustained. A fractured collarbone and a broken right arm were among the list, at the top. You're lucky to be alive after the crash you sustained." spoke the figure.

While the hazy fog in his brain had already begun to disperse, what the person had said to Blaze was able to eliminate entirely and his eyes widened.

"Crash...shit! My team! I need to get back to them!"

He attempted to swing himself over but mistakenly planted his right arm into the pillow and twisted it just enough to make him cry out in pain once more. The person watched him as he collapsed back onto the bed gripping his arm, his chest heaving up and down.

"The battle's already over, no, it's been over. They won."

"Been over? How long was I out?"

"It's December 6th, you do the math." the figure replied bluntly.

Blaze grit his teeth and sucked in another breath, this time using his other arm to push himself up again.

"Then I need to tell them I'm alright! That I'm alive!" he insisted. The man had to get right next to the bed and put a firm hand on Blaze's shoulder, holding him down.

"You can't go back."

"Can't go back my ass!"

Blaze pushed against him, the man having to use both hands now to grapple with the bull-headed pilot to keep him from getting up or possibly hurt himself more. The man shook his head with a sigh, remembering this exact same personality from years ago.

There was only one way to get through to him when he was like this.

"You can't go back because you're dead!"

Blaze was shocked by how loud the man had gotten and finally for the first time actually looked right at him, with clear vision, and saw himself. It was his reflection in the visor of a flight helmet, the man's entire face hidden behind it and an oxygen mask he wore.

The accent had finally become recognizable to him as well, now that he had been shaken from his stubborn mind set. It was Makarov, without a doubt, but he was too shocked by what the man had told him for it to register properly.

"W-What?" questioned Blaze with a stammer. His body went limp and Makarov was able to take his hands off him, returning to his previous standing position.

"They think you're dead. That's why you can't go back." stated Makarov rather plainly, wiping his hands across his flight jacket. "You were given a posthumous two rank promotion to Brigadier General and in honor of your sacrifice…you were awarded this."

Makarov dug into his jacket pocket and tossed Blaze a small black box, like one for jewelry or a necklace. Blaze caught it with his good hand, wincing only a little bit, and looked down at it while he sat it in his lap. The lid had the OADF symbol engraved into it in gold and he wondered what it was, until he opened it.

When he saw what rested inside, he couldn't help but be slightly mystified and astonished.

"An Osean Air Defense Force Medal of Honor...the highest achievement a pilot can receive…"

"For personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty. Awarded for your act of making the ultimate sacrifice above November City to prevent any more civilian casualties from becoming a reality. Do you see it now?"

Blaze was left speechless, unable to take his eyes off the medal. Eventually he was able to remove himself and set the box aside, bringing his gaze up to the Yuke and observing him more closely.

Everything about him looked normal, and that wasn't adding in the fact that Makarov was hiding his face from him. Upon closer inspection however, he noticed that stitched onto the right arm of his jacket were two patches, one consisting of two individual pieces to form a number he guessed.

He couldn't exactly see which number it was, but he was able to see a portion of the other patch. There was hints of gold, white and red, and he racked his brain for anything that he had seen before with those colors before Makarov noticed his gaze.

"Need a better view?"

The Yuke turned his shoulders a bit, allowing Cipher to see the patches in their entirety. A red 011 and then squadron patch depicted a blood red dog with a flaming tail.

"Those patches...where...where did you get that!" demanded Blaze. Makarov chuckled a little behind the mask and helmet, turning his body back around.

"I've had it for a while now, ever since the Galm Team was first formed in 1995...Buddy…"

"Buddy…?"

Blaze was confused for a moment before Makarov took off the mask first and discarded it, the inside containing a rather sophisticated looking piece of equipment over where the mouth would be. He then slipped off the flight helmet without drawing up the visor, holding it under his arm and letting Blaze see all of him.

Makarov had slightly unkempt brown hair, a managed beard akin to five o'clock shadow in appearance, and a confident grin with an obvious wad of tobacco tucked away in the right half of his lower lip.

Like a ghost from the past, Makarov revealed himself not as a secretive Yuke fighter pilot who had knowledge of Blaze's identity, but as the very man who had known him first at the beginning.

"Hey there Buddy, long time no see."

Blaze's body became a permanent fixture to the bed for a few seconds, his eyes frozen in the open position, all because of seeing his thought to be dead wingman and best friend standing there before him like nothing had happened.

With only one other time before as an exception, Blaze had never wanted to sock Larry Foulke so much in his entire life.

"Now, I know you're probably a little frustrated, but-"

Blaze sucked in a breath and pushed himself off the bed onto his feet, rearing his good arm back and gave Larry the deepest gut punch he could muster up.

Larry's spit shot out of his mouth and he stumbled back several feet, taking a tumble onto his knee and coughing as he struggled to get his breath back. Blaze shook his head and shifted his feet to stay standing long enough to look Larry in the eyes and suck up the pain.

"You bastard! A little frustrated?! You fucking have the balls to pull this 'I lived' bullshit again on me after the Continental War in Usea?!" he shouted painfully, Larry bringing his eyes up as he wiped his lips.

He had no one to blame but himself, so he slowly got himself onto his feet and left his helmet and mask on the floor since he didn't need them.

But Blaze wasn't done with him, he still had more to say.

"I saw you fucking die over Megalith! And then not to mention the fact you've been masquerading as some fucking Yuke during a war, scaring the shit out of me with that bullshit about knowing who I am? Damn you Larry!"

Blaze wanted to sock him again but he collapsed onto the bed, heaving his chest up and down when spots were appearing in his vision and his arm screamed at him to rest.

Larry sighed and ran a hand through his hair, the confident grin he had on moments ago gone. Definitely wasn't the best way to break the news to him about his survival.

"Fuck, man...I really did think you died this time…" muttered Blaze, who got himself to sit up. "That meteor…"

"I know, Buddy, I know...I'm sorry. It would take a lot more then that to kill me." he grinned slightly again. "Dogs like us are hard to kill, am I right?"

"You don't know the half of it...but why didn't you tell me?"

"I would have told you sooner, but...I sort of got dragged into something else."

"Something else?" Blaze looked at Larry as he sat dow next to him on the bed, resting his hands in his lap and twidling his thumbs.

"The President of Ustio caught wind of my survival, and he had his people bring me back home to testify for my defection during the Belkan War. Turns out James was there too, and long story made short, I got out of serious jail time in exchange for a way out."

"Is this way out what you have been doing since Megalith? Acting under a disguise?" questioned Blaze.

"Yeah, it has. You remember the Rald Party right?" Larry asked, glancing at Blaze. "The party from fifteen years ago that essentially caused the Belkan War?"

"Of course...how could I forget? Didn't they get ousted from Belka afterwards?"

Larry nod his head. "Yeah, but that's not the whole story. Turns out they were discovered to have had ties with the AWWNB, the organization I was with, and that there were records of financial support from the party."

Blaze learned the whole story from Larry, about how members of the party, including the founder himself, had gone into hiding to avoid prosecution and Larry was taken in to help hunt them down in exchange for being pardoned.

It was a pretty sweet deal, Blaze had to agree. But with that question answered he had so much more to ask, and he wasn't quite ready to forgive Larry yet.

"You mentioned James...was he in on this too?"

"Yeah...sorry Buddy. We had to keep it secret on orders from the President."

Blaze rolled his tongue up inside his mouth and grunted in dissatisfaction before letting it go and shrugging. It wasn't that much of a big deal, and there was more pressing matters.

Like how his friend had actually survived.

Larry was forthcoming with anything Blaze asked about, first detailing the circumstances of his survival. He had been popped out of his fighter jet like one of those gag gifts, and from there he had parachuted his way onto Megalith and had to wait for the battle to end before he could attempt a return to the mainland.

From there he was tracked down and returned to Ustio, which led up to his time as Makarov hunting down the missing members of the Rald Party and returning them to pay for their crimes.

"Alright...I...I trust you." said Blaze with a little sigh. "Just please, don't pull that shit on my again. Next time I'll aim for the face.".

"Duly noted, Cipher…" replied Larry, chuckling awkwardly. "I can call you that, right?"

"Well, where are we first of all?"

Larry grinned now, an actual grin like the one he had before he was gut punched, and stood up from the bed.

"You're home, Buddy."

He helped Blaze to his feet and gave him a pair of crutches to help him walk, since one of his legs had been banged up from he crash too. Blaze was confused by what Larry meant by home, but he figured his doubts would be answered when Larry led him out of the room into the hallway.

Their walk to the exit of whatever building they were in was relatively silent, leaving the medical ward and passing by some personal and nurses on station there. A few doctors even waved and greeted Blaze like they had known him for a while, which only made his suspicions stronger.

Once they reached the exit though, and he could feel the cold wintry air coming underneath to reach his toes, he didn't need to see the outside and know where he was.

"Larry, are we…"

"That's right Buddy." replied Larry as he opened the door, taking Blaze outside into the snowy winter air of the Tyrann Mountains one and only air base.

To his immediate right and left, there were several other buildings including the control tower that formed the administrative center and heart, while separating the two sides was the runway Blaze remembered taking off from so many times. On the other side, both as independent structures and built within the mountains, were the hangars, only there was more then the last time he had been here.

One thing he wasn't used to for sure was that each hangar had a squadron symbol painted onto the building, marking the home of the aircraft for each squadron's jets. It was a nice touch. Another thing he wasn't used to was that the base was way more bustling then it ever used to be, there were some jets soaring in the air over head, people were going left and right everywhere across the base, on foot or in vehicles, and that there was a new building constructed too.

Out front were the flags of various nations in the world, most of them from countries on the Osean continent, and in the center of the row was the flag of Ustio and its air force.

"Valais...oh my god…" murmured Blaze in awe.

"Welcome back Buddy. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Blaze smiled and nod his head, standing just a little bit taller now on his crutches as a feeling of pride coursed through his veins. Larry chuckled and walked with him across the tarmac towards the hangars, where a large collection of men and base personnel were talking and chatting.

Blaze felt more happiness enter his veins when he recognized the symbol painted on the hangar they approached, a crow within the shape of a heart.

As they got closer one of the pilots spotted Blaze and hushed everyone while smiling, the whole group opening up and spreading out to watch the tw come up to them.

"Cipher's awake! The legend himself!"

Larry laughed and he left Blaze's side when he was slowly swarmed by the men of the base first, some of them obviously wanting to see and get a taste of what a legend is.

It was after Blaze was able to get through their onslaught that the pilots finally approached him, one taking the lead and bringing a hand up for Blaze to shake with his good hand.

"So you're the Demon Lord? Thought I overheard you wanting to be called Blaze." he asked with a little smirk.

"Well, I guess since there's really no use...yeah, I'm him. Cipher. You doubt me?"

Cipher grinned back as he took the pilot's hand and firmly shook it, their eyes stuck on one another for a brief moment before they both laughed.

"Ha, not at all. If I did Foulke would gut punch me." he replied. "You look a little banged up there. Everything okay?"

"Nothing I'm not used to. I'll be fine. Are you Crow Squadron's leader?"

The man nod his head and Cipher grinned more as he and the pilot shared a discussion with one another, talking about the history of the squadron since the Belkan War and how the original members had retired by now.

Larry finally stepped in and had to pry Cipher away from the others so he could show him around more of the base. Crow 1 and the rest of his squadron bid farewell to them, ending their conversation with a promise he would uphold the legacy the original members left behind for them.

"Larry...how did this place grow so big? What's happened here while I've been gone?" asked Cipher, glancing from one hangar building to the other as they walked.

"After the Belkan War, Ustio gained control of the B7R area and the resources under it. The country's been making bank off of them and used them too to boost its army and air force to new heights, way past what it used to be."

"So they got upgrades?"

"If by upgrades you mean having an air force and army comparable to that of Belka's back in its heyday, then yes." Larry said with a snicker, Cipher's mouth dropping open.

"And the whole centerpiece to that is shortly after the war, apparently the government was so pleased by the 6th Air Division and its effectiveness, they've left it the only portion of the military to be fully staffed by mercenaries. And a lot of the guys here love it."

"Damn...that's incredible. Say, what happened to that jet fighter you fought me with over Cape Landers?"

"Oh that? Here, follow me."

Larry took Cipher away from the base's heart to one of the outlying hangars and when they reached it he opened the massive doors with the push of a button. Dull sunlight from the cloudy skies above flooded the hangar and sitting inside was the exact fighter jet Larry flew, the so-called Su-55M Frigate-D.

Cipher walked more inside to observe the aircraft more closely but to his surprise it looked like a regular Su-35 or one of its upgraded models, which left him confused.

"This looks like a regular Su-35. What gives?"

"It's not the outside that matters, it's what's inside that counts."

Cipher whipped his head around just as James, wearing baggy pants and a flight jacket like Larry's came into the hangar right next to Larry. He smiled at his old friend and walked up to him, Cipher turning himself around to face him and grinning.

"You bastard."

"I know, I know. Nice to meet you too, Cipher."

They shook hands and James pat him on the shoulder before Larry now joined the two of them next to the nose of the jet fighter.

"What's he news James?"

"We've figured out where they're going next. It's Cruik Fortress, the last stronghold in the way of the Oseans before the capital of Yuktobania."

"They? Wait, it's my team! We have to go-"

"That's a negative Cipher." interjected James firmly. "We can't involve ourselves with this, Ustio's maintaining a strict neutrality, even the 6th Air Division is refraining. And if you were thinking about going yourself, that's a negative either, you can't fly the way you are now."

Cipher cursed under his breath and Larry chuckled. He reassured his friend there was still a way to go and see them, albeit indirectly, and that they would be going out to Yuktobania shortly to oversee the operation and make sure that Cipher's team would be okay.

Even if it wouldn't be the same and joining them, Cipher still took it. He was appreciated either way.

"There's something else going on too that the President has us on, something hidden within this war. I'll tell you more about it once we're up in the air."

 **\- Cruik Fortress, Northern-central Yuktobania -**

 **\- 22°06'16"N 089°32'48"E -**

 **\- December 6th, 2010 1254 hrs -**

"King Cobra to Abel. Today we're gonna do it!"

"This is Abel, don't be stupid! Can't you see that wall in front of us?"

"We're getting support from Sand Island today though!"

"What?! Roger that! I'll tell everyone now!"

Nagase and Grimm hardly paid any attention to the chatter between he ground forces as they approached the heavily fortified Yuke fortress in their path. The operation was indeed an important one, if Cruik Fortress fell then the Osean ground forces could march to the capital city, Cinigrad, without any interference.

The success of this mission could very well lead to the end of the war. But for the two pilots, the gravity of the situation hadn't sunk in enough to derail them from their sorrow for their two fallen friends.

Even flying hadn't been as fun on their own time without Blaze and Chopper.

"Allied forces in the air, listen to me." spoke up the CO in charge of the assault. "If the ground forces are eliminated, this operation will fail. We need you to place top priority on eliminating the threat to our ground forces. We're counting on you."

"This is Grimm...we've got your back." he murmured half-heartedly.

As they neared the fortress gates, assisting their allies by blasting apart pillboxes and bunkers along the way, Cipher watched from above through the impressive high-tech camera technology available to his aircraft. Of course it was made in Ustio, and its exterior gave off the impression of it being a standard E-767.

For all intents and purposes it was, but on the inside it had way better equipment and it had the capability to function as a long range gun platform for ground attack missions. Concealed within the latter half of the aircraft were similar gun systems, fully automated too, like on the AC-130 gunship plus some, but thanks to impressive jamming technology derived from Belka's own, James assured his friend they wouldn't be needed.

Dubbed the AE-767D, the aircraft was a titan, and it had been hard for Cipher to accept it was Ustio that created such an impressive aircraft.

"I bet you're just itchin' to rejoin them down there, aren't you?" asked Larry from his jet flying alongside them.

Cipher chuckled and replied back with aa yes, the two striking up a conversation between themselves as they observed the operation unfold below them.

One thing he had found out was that Larry had lied about the name of the aircraft, there was no Su-55M Frigate-D, it was an Su-35, but it was in no way a regular model. Ustio had made for itself its own factories to churn out its fighters, and like its former parent nation Belka, Sukhoi and Mikoyan fighters were a staple of the UAF.

Of course, the difference in electronics could be found by looking into the aircraft, and weapon systems were different, but one thing true about it and the craft Larry flew was that Ustio had perfected technology that enabled for their Sukhoi fighters to recover from battle damage in the same manner Larry had.

He was shocked, to say the least, the tiny little nation had taken such massive leaps forward from the state it was in back in 1995.

It seemed like it was no time at all when Nagase and Grimm had utterly skewered the infamous Coliseum and opened the doors to Cinigrad. Cipher listened in to their communications with a heavy heart, since he didn't hear them celebrate at all alongside their ground forces.

He knew they didn't have their hearts in the fight, his "death" and Chopper's passing were still hanging over their heads.

"Nicely done so, if I do say so myself." said James with a grin, Cipher smiling a little.

"Yeah...say, do you think we can follow them back to Sand Island? For me?"

"Larry? Does that seem like much of a problem?"

Larry checked his fuel gauges and chuckled. "Not at all, I should be fine if I link up with you for the return trip."

The so-called "impregnable" fortress fell in half a day, and the momentum of the Osean army had reached a peak. Its final stronghold lost, the Yuktobanian army was setting up a barricade in the urban area up ahead.

The next battle could see a lot of bloodshed, with innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. However, the men and officers of the Osean army were optimistic.

They though, as long as he two fighters from Sand Island were taking part in the action, thing would turn out alright. They have become the center of the army's strength now.

Once everything had settled down, Grimm and Nagase departed from Cruik toward the Vladimir Mountains east of the fortress. They were to meet up with an allied refueler so that they could make the return trip back to Sand Island.

Following them of course was James, Larry and Cipher.

"Here's the home stretch. After they refuel they'll be heading back to Sand Island." said James after inputting coordinates into the autopilot.

Cipher nod his head and leaned back in his chair, observing the long range radar while James left the cockpit to go get something to drink from the little break area.

Some time passed by and they entered the young mountain range, Cipher yawning a little. He contemplated taking a nap before friendly blips appeared on the radar, the tanker aircraft and its escorts he assumed. He took a closer look though and his heart skipped a beat, the four numbers marking each blip glaring back at him.

It only got worse when the 767D's superior radar detected a huge group of unknown enemies approaching the airspace at high speed.

James was on it almost immediately when Cipher pointed it out to him.

"Larry, we've got unmarked bogies approaching Wardog. Their numbers vastly outweigh them, they will need support."

"Huh? Why? There's four allies there." replied Larry, checking his radar.

"Larry, something isn't right with those allies, you have to trust me!" Cipher pleaded, his heart starting to race as the unknown fighters grew closer to the area.

Larry had a decision to make, and naturally he relied on his gut and his friend's word. Putting on the special oxygen mask outfitted with the voice changing technology, he dove down towards the mountains.

At the same time, Cipher kept his eyes glued firmly on the radar blips marked as friendly on the radar. Four aircraft. Four numbers.

8492.


	23. 8492

A/N Leave a fav and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 21 - 8492**

 _The demon soars through dark skies_

 _Fear and death trail its shadow beneath_

 _Until men united wield a hollowed sabre_

 _In final reckoning, the beast is slain_

* * *

Their orders were simple. Kill the Yuke pilots their generals thought would be getting the drop on the Osean pilots after they entered the Vladimir Mountains and blame it on the Oseans. Then shoot down the Wardog pilots if possible.

They executed it perfectly. With help from their allies, who were smuggled in, the Yukes were shot down without any trouble. Their jets and bodies would be unrecoverable, and the secret operation proceeded smoothly.

Their jets would wait out of range while the vanguard would rendezvous with the Osean tanker aircraft under their guise as allies.

It was textbook. Now they had to wait for their prey, and then the trap would be sprung.

 **\- Vladimir Mountains, Northeastern Yuktobania -**

 **\- December 6th, 2010 1609 hrs -**

Nagase and Grimm had been flying alone with Thunderhead above them over the white capped mountains, partly admiring their young appearance. The sun made the snow packed against their steep jagged faces glisten, providing them with at least one thing they could focus on.

Eventually they were given a radar update by Thunderhead, an allied tanker aircraft and its escorts a little ways ahead of them.

"Wardog Squadron, this is Thunderhead. There's an allied squadron to the east of your position, they'll guide you back to Sand Island." he informed with a smile. "Good work today, you two. We're one step away from the enemy's capital. We can win this as long as you're with us, I can feel it. Blaze and Chopper would be proud."

Nagase's eyes widened a little at their names and Grimm lowered his head, the two thinking of their friends and imagining what they would say if they were here.

"Those enemy pilots we fought today...I can't imagine how wonderful it would be to fly with them in peacetime."

Grimm nod his head, smiling and looking at Nagase's craft. "Yeah."

They flew over a mountainous spine and the allied aircraft finally popped up on their HUDs, the tanker in the center while a pair of fighters stuck to either of its flanks. Grey F-15S/MTDs marked with OADF roundels, friendlies.

It was a sight for sore eyes.

"Wardog, this is the 8492nd Squadron. It'll be an honor for us to escort you heroes. Let's go home."

Grimm and Nagase formed up behind them and the tanker aircraft, Nagase being the first to line up for approach to refuel. At the same time the 8492nd leader and his wingmen pulled back to cover them from the rear, fanning out slightly to cover a wider area.

Perhaps it was because they weren't thinking clearly because of their sorrow, or because they were tired from the operation, they realized far too late the danger they were in.

"Yeah. But...I'm still wondering what the captain was doing when...wait…" started Grimm before it slowly dawned on him.

"84...92…" murmured Nagase before missile alert sirens shrieked in her ear. "Grimm, evade!"

She pulled back her fighter into a sharp climb just as a missile narrowly passed under her, Grimm diving away in the nick of time too to avoid being hit.

It was utterly flawless, without any hiccups.

All in a matter of seconds their radars turned dark and loud buzzing filled their ears as a heavy ECM attack overtook them. The tanker, completely defenseless, was shot down mercifully by the 8492nd squadron before their radar blips completely vanished and they rapidly evacuated the are as dozens of long range missiles came bearing down on Nagase and Grimm.

"The tanker got shot down! The escort planes, they-"

"The 8492nd Squadron doesn't exist!" shouted Nagase frantically.

Her heart raced as she dove into a corkscrew followed by a release of her flares, the missiles pursuing her dropping one by one. Grimm performed several of the same evasive maneuvers to try and survive the initial attack, all the while having to deal with the ECM jamming.

Thunderhead's voice was nowhere to be heard, they had no idea if he was still alive or even if he knew what had just happened.

"Thunderhead! Thunderhead, respond!" Nagase pleaded, but no response came.

Her terror only worsened when her spotty radar detected a swarm of thirty unknown aircraft approaching Grimm and her at high speed. She figured they launched the attack, and that the 8492nd was in league with them, but who were they?

Were they Yuke? Osean?

Then some garbled speech came through their jammed radioss. Grimm couldn't tell what it was, but as they fighters grew closer it became clearer.

"We must destroy them. We can't let them end this war."

"Roger. We'll surround them and attack from all directions."

Nagase clenched her jaw muscles and ordered Grimm to stick tightly to her wing when the fighters bore down on them from all sides. They were jets they'd never fought against before, but they knew they looked Yuke in design. The glaring differences between the Su-27s, Su-35s, 34s and 33s, and the 37s they've fought were forward swept wings and they had a simple base grey camouflage.

And they were stupid fast, to the point Nagase and Grimm had to go at full speed and maneuver constantly just to stay alive within the huge mothball. Whoever wanted them dead really wanted to be sure of it.

"The 8492nd sure did give us a great opportunity to shoot down the demons…" murmured one of the unknown pilots, the name 8492 coming up again.

"8492, 8492, 8492...that's right! When we were helping the President's emergency landing, it was the *8492nd who took our place!" declared Grimm in a moment of clarity, Nagase gritting her teeth.

He was right, the 8492nd had taken their spots back then, and it was after that mission when the Vice President took more of an active role in the war, claiming he was executing everything on behalf of the President.

They both knew that the President wouldn't have initiated such an escalation of the war, so the only logical conclusion was he must have been taken.

"They got the President, too…so that's what escalated the war?"

"We've gotta tell people about this! But how?" questioned Grimm before gunfire strafed his wing. "We're completely surrounded!"

All of a sudden, with the roar of its engines, a different unknown fighter came down from the heavens and with a pair of missiles he shot down two enemy fighters without any effort.

Its sudden arrival was enough of a shock to momentarily pause the attack on Wardog for a few seconds, the chain of command within the huge squadron trying to identify the newcomer.

"Whoa! What the hell?!" Grimm gasped.

"Wardog, can you hear me?" asked the pilot just as the fighters began their attack again.

The unknown pilot fluidly maneuvered through their ranks and shot down another jet, amazing Nagase and Grimm with his skill.

"Unknown fighter, identify yourself." questioned Nagase, despite having to re-engage the enemy fighters with Grimm.

"Look, I don't have much time. We need to-"

"Wait, that accent…" uttered Nagase, recognizing it and recalling the jet from her memories. "You're Makarov! The pilot Blaze fought over Cape Landers!"

The pilot growled a little when he recognized a pincer attack from the unknown fighters and got himself out of it, greatly irritating the enemy.

"Yes, that's me. But listen to me, I don't have time to explain, but we need to leave immediately. Follow me to the east so we can escape."

"How can we know you won't betray us? That this is another trap?" questioned Grimm when he finally managed to shoot down one of the fighters.

Nagase swooped in from behind him and shot down her own first fighter jet, Makarov's maneuvers slowly rubbing off on them and allowing the two to begin to fight back against their attackers.

"We'll just have to take tha chance. We'll follow you, Makarov." said Nagase.

"Good, now help me shoot down these Berkuts."

"Berkuts?"

"The name of these jets." replied Makarov bluntly. "The Su-47 Berkut, these jets are homegrown from Belka, for use by Belka."

"Belkan fighters?" gasped Grimm. "How did Belkan fighters end up in Yuktobania?"

Makarov smirked a little as he spun away from a missile attack and used his gun to shoot down one of the Berkuts. This wasn't his first rodeo with the Belkan fighters, he'd of course fought in the very war they were first introduced in.

"It's because Belka is behind all of this. It's the only logical answer."

"Belka's behind all of this?!" exclaimed Nagase. "if this is the truth, then what was this war all about?!"

"Revenge."

Nagase and Grimm looked to their new ally as he shot down a pair of Belkan fighters, his jet soaring through the fire and smoke of their destruction.

They could hear the disgust and discontent in his tone, and Makarov indeed had a scowl upon his face as he figured it out for himself too.

"Belka was defeated by the Allied Forces, headed by Osea and assisted by Yuktobania, along with Sapin, Ustio and other countries. What sweeter revenge then to watch the biggest players destroy themselves in a rapidly escalating war?"

Makarov's explanation was received in a rather typical way anyone who is learning the war they had been fighting in wasn't just at all, it was nothing more then a revenge plot.

Like the anger they showcased over Novembeer City, Nagase and Grimm began attacking the Belkan fighters outright instead of being on the defense. The pilots, unlike the Yuke pilots they had fought before, readily countered the increase in aggressive attacks and the dogfighting turned even uglier.

The pilots themselves became more like animals, the Belkans fearsome lions attacking their prey with savage ferocity, and the Wardog pilots the angry, vengeful demons they were named after, viciously attacking anything in sight.

Despite this, in the back of their minds, Nagase and Grimm were blown away by these pilots they had never faced before.

They knew their history, Belka's produced some of the most highly skilled pilots in history. The Belkan Air Force is practically a wonder of the world all on its own, because of its reputation.

If Blaze were still there, they knew he would be astonished too, yet excited at the same time.

What happened next was all a blur for the pilots, but the furball did eventually end with the Belkan attackers being shot down.

"Let's hurry home." said Grimm, exhaling heavily.

Makarov swooped up beside them, Nagase and Grimm seeing the pilot turn his head toward them through the canopy glass.

"I'll follow you the whole way back, I have enough fuel."

"Roger. Let's hurry Grimm."

 **\- Crew Barracks, Sand Island -**

 **\- December 7th, 2010 0113 hrs -**

Gennette had been tired before, but he was now wide awake as he walked into the building on base that held the rooms for its personal. His heart raced, his eyes as focused as an eagle's on its prey.

He'd just gotten off the phone with one of his journalist contacts in Oured, and what he heard had been like a gut punch. He had to tell someone he could trust as soon as possible, this information had to be shared.

Gennette reached his room and opened it, jumping a little at Pops sitting on his bed with Kirk at his feet.

The dog'a tail wagged at him and Kirk lifted his head up, Pops bringing his own gaze to Gennete while his hand rested on top of Kirk's head.

A bowl of water sat between his feet too, and it seemed Gennette's sudden entrance had snatched Kirk's attention from drinking.

He didn't care. The second his shock faded, he was elated.

Pops and Gennette could both see they had something pressing to share, but respectfully the mechanic motioned for the journalist to go first.

"Would it surprise you if I said that President Harling is nowhere to be found within the capital?" questioned Gennette. Pops pursed his lips together for a moment and then shook his head.

"Not really." he replied. "The hard-line war Osea's waging right now hardly resembles the peace policy the President was promoting. Let me guess...he disappeared just before we invaded Yuktobania, right?"

"Exactly. My journalist friends told me that nobody's seen him enter or leave the office since. All of his decisions are communicated through the Vice President." explained Gennette before he put a hand on his hip, his expression hardening. "And it gets better, a lot of the military officers that resigned over disagreement with the President's arms-reduction have started to return to the capital."

Pops stopped petting Kirk and rubbed his calloused hands together, making a sound like sandpaper being scratched.

He looked down at them, seeing the age and wrinkles in his skin. Now it was his turn.

"I found out something myself. That Belkan aggressor force I was telling you about...apparently they're called the 8492nd Squadron."

Gennette's eyes widened when the name struck a bell deep within his psyche, recalling earlier memories of hearing Nagase speak about the very same squadron that relieved her and the others over Akerson Hill.

It was also the name brought up by Blaze during his interrogation after the Dresdene incident. The voice he had heard over the radio, Blaze insisted, belonged to the 8492nd leader.

"Also, and here's the kicker…" said Pops, rubbing his hands together again. "Captain Hamilton, the Adjutant Base Commander here, used to be assigned to the 8492nd."

"What?!"

The roar of jet engines shook the building and Gennette forgot his surprise for a moment to run to the window.

He parted the blinds and spotted two jets circling over the base to enter their landing approach. It was Grimm and Nagase, they'd returned from Yuktobania.

"They're back."

Gennette hadn't heard Pops stand up and join him at the window. From there, they watched Nagase and Grimm together.

"There's no point in talking to that blockhead commander. He treated our president like an idiot just because he wanted peace." growled Nagase upon touching down, Grimm not far behind.

"What about his adjutant, Captain Hamilton?"

"Roger. I'll go see him, Grimm, you go let Pops and Gennette know."

Their planes were waved down by the ground crew and they leaped out of their cockpits, both of them dropping a small greeting before they ran off for the buildings. Once there Grimm split off to go to the barracks while Nagase went for the administrative offices, keeping a stern expression to hide the turbulent emotions raging inside of her from earlier. She wanted to know if Hamilton could do anything for them, because with Belka's involvement now revealed a whole new door had opened to them.

"She *what? Nagase went to see Hamilton?"

Grimm froze and his face paled at Gennette's tone when he told them their plan, his confidence draining just as fast. Pops was staring equally as surprised at the young pilot, and Kirk was wagging his tail, totally oblivious.

"What is it?" asked Grimm with a stutter. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Let's hurry." Pops walked past Gennette, unintentionally knocking over Kirk's water dish and startling the labrador.

Gennette was quick to follow and Grimm, taking a few moments to calm Kirk down, was right behind him. Kirk followed too, panting from the excitement and the tense mood in the air.

"We don't have time to warn Nagase, we'll have to talk to the base commander ourselves."

Meanwhile Nagase found Hamilton in the empty break room having himself an early morning coffee in the moonlight coming in through the blinds. He turned toward her mid-sip and paused, lowering the mug and giving her a warm smile.

As the door slowly eased shut behind her to the room, he asked, "Miss Nagase, what brings you here in such a rush?"

Where the offices for the base commander and other officers were, Pops led their little posse through the hallways right up to where Perrault's office was. The door was strangely wide open, and upon walking inside they met the base commander himself standing behind his desk looking down at some papers on his desk, hands hidden from view.

Once he raised his eyes up, he straightened his back and gave them a little smirk.

"Thank you for coming, Second Lieutenant." Perrault said. "I was just thinking about calling you over."

"Me?" asked Pops, Kirk peeking into the office for a moment before Grimm gently pushed him back.

Perrault glanced down at the papers on his desk and cleared his throat.

"Special Forces Second Lieutenant Peter N. Beagle...or I guess you prefer "Pops". Fifteen years ago, you and Bartlett were shot down over enemy terrain. Bartlett's squadron HQ was destroyed, and all of its data was fried by Belka."

Pops narrowed his eyes slightly and Grimm adjusted his weight a little, the air in the room tense and weighing heavily on their soldiers.

Something was very wrong with the base commander, that feeling of familiarity and slight annoyance because of who Perrault was had been replaced by anxiety. They could only hope Nagase wasn't in a similar situation.

"When you made it back to the allied front lines, it was Bartlett's word that convinced them that you were his squadron leader…is that really true?"

He was finished reading from the paper, and then withdrew his right arm from behind his back. Gennette and Grimm each took a nervous step back when Perrault treated Pops to a view right down the muzzle of his sidearm, the dim lighting reflecting off its finished metal figure.

Pops was rooted to the ground, negotiations were out of the window. He was scared, yes, but old instincts kicked in. The feeling of danger, the risk of losing one's life, he was all too familiar with this.

"Bartlett turned out to be a spy. So, who are you really?". Perrault reached with his other hand to the intercom on his desk, his smirk now a dirty sneer.

"Can't prove anything about your military record...can you?" he mocked, his finger hovering just barely over the trigger.

Pops already had his body turned slightly towards the door, and out of the corner of his eye he gave a quick glance to Gennette and Grimm behind him. They both gave a quick nod and Pops returned his gaze to Perrault.

He edged his foot back inch by inch, widening his stance into a more athletic one. There was a few feet to cover from where he stood to the doorway, and he figured Grimm and Gennette could get out first without being harmed or killed by Perrault. Since he was nearest to the base commander, he expected one bullet would hit him. If he was lucky and it didn't hit anything vital, he could scramble out before he took another shot. It all mattered on getting the right jump.

Then the lights clicked off. Perrault hesitated, looking to te ceiling lights. They were all blinding momentarily by the loss of illumination, but it was perfect.

Pops threw down a chair next to him as another distraction, and he, Grimm and Gennette bolted for the door. Perrault, still disorientated somewhat, took several shots in the dark.

One bullet whizzed past Pop's shoulder, wedging itself into the door frame. Another flew under Gennette's outstretched arm as he left the office, striking the opposite wall. Kirk yelped from the sound of the pistol firing, but despite the fright the labrador followed after Grimm when they escaped Perrault's clutches.

The base commander snarled and pressed his finger to the intercom button, his voice being sent out across the base.

"All Wardog pilots, the journalist and the mechanic Peter N. Beagle are to be arrested on sight! They're spies! Shoot 'em if you have to!"

Pops took the lead as they escaped from the building, running outside just as the alarms started to wail and searchlights from the defensive watch towers flashed on. They ran into a small alleyway between some of the other buildings right as Nagase appeared from a connecting route, all of them freezing when Nagase pointed her pistol at them. She lowered it when they confirmed each other's identities and a quick plan was made for Grimm to try and check on their planes, to see if they could escape the base with them.

In the meantime, Nagase watched the exit to the alley facing the runway, while Gennette leaned against a wall and Pops slumped onto some crates next to Kirk.

"Hamilton's got the base commander deceived too…" muttered Gennette in the midst of catching his breath.

"I punch that guy's lights out." growled Nagase in disgust. "That bastard was wearing a major's insignia on his shoulder."

"I don't know who it is, but someone's trying to widen the rift between Osea and Yuktobania to keep the war going. If Osea continues to-"

"We know." interrupted Nagase.

Gennette and Pops glanced up at her, a little taken aback.

Nagase met their gaze with a hardened expression. "We were ambushed by Belkan fighters in Yuktobania. They were trying to kill us to prevent the end of the war."

"Belkan fighters? Belka's behind this?!" stammered Gennette, while Pops seemed to accept the truth rather quickly and nod his head in thought.

"Seems that's the reason why the president hasn't been seen...they must've kidnapped him too."

The period of revelation had to come to an end when Kirk's ears perked up and he sat up, wagging his tail and staring down the opposite end of the alley. Grimm appeared from a connecting portion, hunched over and breathing heavily after sprinting the whole way back to get to them as soon as possible.

"It's no good! They seized our planes in the hangars!" he gasped, practically out of breath.

A search light's beam passed over the alley's entrance, Nagase pressing herself against the wall to make herself smaller while Pops tapped his right foot repeatedly.

He then brought his gaze up and stared straight across the runway towards the lesser used hangars, to one at the very end with its doors ever so slightly open. Their salvation lied there, the only option they had left.

"Hangar Ten probably isn't so heavily guarded."

"Yeah, but...over there, there's nothing but-"

"We'll escape with my training jets." said Pops, standing up with a grin. "Good thing I maintain all of my planes well, eh? Gennette, you'll take the seat behind me".

Gennette nod his head and the group waited for the nearest spotlight to pass their location before making a mad dash from the buildings across the runway towards Hangar Ten.

Their hearts raced and they were afraid they'd be discovered by that alone, how loud their heartbeats were, but thankfully it was just a fear-induced illusion. They arrived at the hangar and squeezed inside one by one just in the nick of time, right as some Osean soldiers jogged by with assault rifles over their shoulders and flashlights in their hands.

Once Nagase confirmed they were gone by peeking through the gap in the doors, she motioned to everyone it was clear and they worked quickly to get into the training jets. Hawk T.1s were what they had, and Grimm and Nagase got an odd feeling of nostalgia climbing into the trainers for the first time in a while.

Who could've guessed the very jets they trained in as Nuggets would be their saving grace in the face of an international conspiracy.

Once the jets were powered on, Nagase remembered what their unlikely ally had told them before they landed and she repeated the same message to Pops. Their radios were turned to the proper frequency and soon Makarov's voice came in to them all, loud and clear.

"Wardog, can you hear me? This is Makarov, what's your situation?"

"The base commander turned against us, everyone's been deceived. We're attempting an escape in training jets, we need cover." reported Nagase after slipping the flight helmet on inside, then went through equipment checks.

"Roger that."

"Is that…?" questioned Pops before, on Grimm's signal, Gennette punched the button to open the hangar doors.

He quickly sprinted back to Pops' plane and hoisted himself up into the cockpit, sitting himself down behind the mechanic and moving Kirk into his lap at the same time. The canopy closed with a hiss and they were moving, three unarmed training jets rolling out onto a runway turned hostile. Spotlights swarmed them, and for a moment Nagase had a second of doubt that Makarov wouldn't come to their aid.

Suddenly an explosion erupted from where the jet fuel was kept, the flames lighting up the night sky as Makarov's jet soared across the base and created a sonic boom. Her hopes renewed, Nagase led Grimm and Pops as they took off one by one from Sand Island under the cover provided by Makarov. Eventually they were in the air, and with a final goodbye the pilots and their friends left Sand Island for good.

"So where do we go now?" asked Grimm, sounding worried.

"I don't know...we no longer have a home to return to." replied Nagase, the realization of what they had just done now finally hitting her.

They were now traitors to their own country, criminals that would be arrested if they were caught. If they weren't killed first, that is.

"Guess I'll try my hand at combat maneuvering then. Excuse me while I take the lead." said Pops, taking control of the dire situation. "Follow me, people."

Nagase gladly allowed the mechanic to take the lead position in their ramshackle squadron and turned them onto a new vector.

At the same time, Makarov, who finished his attack on Sand Island to make it incredibly hard for the base to launch a search any time soon, flew back up into the night sky and followed them from a ways behind.

"James, I've secured the Wardog pilots. What's the plan now?"

"We're working on it Larry. For now, continue to cover them. We'll fill you in with any updates we have."

"Roger that."

 **\- Solo Islands, Northwestern Osea -**

 **\- 154°31'15"N 35°22'27"E -**

 **\- December 7th, 2010 0704 hrs -**

They had been flying for hours in a desperate attempt to avoid being caught by their now hostile allies, and unfortunately the luck they did have finally ran out. Behind them, approaching at top speed was the same flight of four totally grey F-15S/MTDs of the 8492nd.

Since Makarov had damaged Sand Island, the higher ups must have requested the squadron to hunt them down. They were probably told to shoot them down and attempt apprehending them, but everyone knew that was a lie. The 8492nd weren't friends of Osea, they were Belkans.

The 8492nd was going to kill them.

"This is the 8492nd Squadron. We have visual on the enemy." spoked the leader to their accompanying AWACS.

"This is Thunderhead...so they really are traitors?"

Thunderhead was shaken deeply when he heard the news the squadron he'd worked with for most of the war were traitors. When he received the order to act as the AWACS for the 8492nd in their pursuit of Wardog, he as apprehensive, to say the least.

"Yeah, they are." replied the 8492nd leader.

"I can't believe it…"

"You can believe what you want, but it's the truth." spoke Hamilton's voice to Thunderhead from Sand Island. "8492nd Squadron, you have permission to shoot down those planes."

"8492nd, roger."

The Belkans rapidly closed the gap between them and the Wardog pilots, Pops seeing the threat on his radar and smirking a little. Guess it was time to knock out those dusty cobwebs.

"I'll get you guys out of here." said Pops calmly with a smile. "You all stay with me now."

He spun his jet around in a tight barrel roll first, Gennette holding onto the seat and onto Kirk at the same time, before he led Nagase and Grimm towards the islands below them.

Makarov watched them from above on his radar for another few moments before he put on the auto-pilot and leaned back in his seat. From what he's heard from Pops through his connection to them, the guy sounded experienced and if Nagase and Grimm trusted him, he would too.

"I'll provide overwatch, Wardog. Just let me know if you need assistance."

"Roger, Makarov."

The 8492nd Leader and his squadron stayed hot on the trails of the fleeing traitors, and as he watched them approach the Solo Islands, he focused on the jet out front.

The pilot watched the other man maneuver, leading his little fledgling squadron of traitors, and from the fluidity of each movement alone he felt some kind of familiarity. He had seen a flying style like that before, from someone many years ago that he used to look up to. When he realized that, he slowly tightened his grip around the flight stick.

"That flying style…"

"Something wrong sir?" asked the 8492nd's number two man.

"It's the colonel…" growled the leader. "The one leading traitors, it's the colonel himself."

"Colonel? You mean *the colonel? The legendary pilot they used to call Huckebein the Raven? That colonel?"

"Yeah...the most infamous traitor our country's ever produced."

Pops chuckled to himself when the odd radio inter frequency phenomenon occurred during the Belkans' discussion. He thought, "*That you Ashley? Seems you've strayed even further from your ideals since the last war."

They got closer to the first island within the collection and Grimm noticed their radars get blurrier with each passing second. Eventually they blinked out entirely, leaving them totally blind and unaware of where the 8492nd squadron was behind them.

"Whoa, what just-"

"Dammit, my radar's out…" Nagase took a quick glance back and saw the 8492nd Squadron pull off from their descent.

"This is a volcanic island, it has a strong magnetic field around it. I'm sure you've noticed our radar has gone out too, but don't worry. Just follow me."

Grimm and Nagase did exactly what they were told to do and stuck behind Pops throughout their entire journey. They encountered a huge graveyard for old or aging weapons of war that Osea had deposited there, an entire mothballed air fleet of bombers and jet fighters. They were astonished too by the island itself, but their most harrowing part came when they entered a large tunnel that completely hid them from sight.

The 8492nd, unable to spot them on radar and unable to see them once they entered the tunnel, assumed that the worst had been done to them. They had to have crashed inside of the tunnel, and there was no reason to be on the pursuit any more.

The Belkan pilots turned away from the islands to begin their return to base, but to their surprise it was when they had reached the far side of the islands and were well enough away that Wardog emerged from the islands and appeared on radar once again. Their return was enough to make Thunderhead silently jump for joy inside a little, but maintaining his composure he was quick to report it.

"This is Thunderhead, 8492nd, cease your disengagement. We're seeing the traitors on radar again."

The 8492nd leader growled and quickly he and his squadron turned themselves around to go after the pilots, but by then something interesting occured. Another radar signature appeared in front of the traitors, going right towards them.

"Whoa, hey, James, are you seeing this? There's someone new on the radar."

"Don't worry, this is going according to plan."

Grimm and Nagase formed up tightly to Pops as they leveled themselves out from their ascension away from the Solo Islands, the newcomer coming within their seeing distance. An F-14A, Osean origin.

"This is Swordsman, of the OFS Kestrel. We were conducting training operations within the area when we heard the news. I just found 'em, so now I just shoot 'em down?"  
Nagase gasped, it was the naval pilot they had met before over St. Hewlett during the earliest part of the war, and from when the carriers were attacked in the Eaglin straits. Grimm was equally shocked, and with the 8492nd coming up from behind, and Swordsman in front, they were trapped with no way out.

"He's not really our enemy." chuckled Pops, confusing Grimm and Nagase.

"What do you, wait." Grimm paused when a light began to flash from Swordsman's plane. "It's a signal light. Um...trust...me...bail...out. He wants us to bail out?"

They were presented with a conundrum. Either face the Belkan aggressors bearing down on them from the rear, or take the advice from someone they only met a few times and risk falling for a trap.

The choice was relatively obvious.

"Let's trust him then. Gennette, you first." spoke Pops with a glance back to the journalist. He gulped and held on tightly to Kirk before he nod his head and Pops blew off the canopy, allowing him to eject out of the training jet first.

Pops followed soon after, and a couple seconds later Swordsman destroyed the jet with a single missile. The ejection seats had propelled Pops and Gennette high enough to where the blast of the exploding aircraft didn't veer them off course, or hurt them at all, and with that they were safe.

"Swordsman to Thunderhead. Splash one."

"Tracked on radar. Kill confirmed." reported Thunderhead, his heart sinking into his stomach. The other officers inside of 767 felt the same way too about the whole situation, practically all of them unable to believe that their heroes had turned traitor. It felt wrong.

Grimm bailed out of his plane next, and when his plane went up in flames, Nagase followed suite so she could watch the jet she sat in be consumed by fire as it was destroyed by Swordsman. The pilot swooped by them with his jet after announcing the kills to Thunderhead and circled above them as their chutes deployed and they landed in the water.

Rather quickly they unbuckled and with Kirk being rather calm in Gennette's arms, they remained submerged under the water and held their breath as the 8492nd finally reached the area.

"So you downed all three of them…" muttered the 8492nd leader, feeling cheated at not having the chance to shoot down the one he remembered. "Whatever. 8492nd, return to base."

Swordsman kept his mouth shut as he remained circling over the water, leaving the remaining work to Thunderhead and the naval pilot.

"This is Swordsman. I don't see any floating debris in the water."

"Image faded from radar, all planes destroyed."

"You'd better give me a medal for this later." remarked Swordsman with bravado, Thunderhead shaking his head silently.

Pops and the others then surfaced, gasping for air because of being underwater while Kirk whimpered a little before Grimm swam over to him and Gennette to comfort him. Nagase glanced over her shoulder and squinted her eyes when she saw an object approaching them, close to the waterline of the ocean.

The object turned out to be a helicopter, one of the HH-9Bs she remembered seeing on the deck of the Kestrel way back when...and one of the choppers that participated in the operation in Glubina.

The helicopter soon hovered over them, the wind from its blades pushing the water around them in small waves until a man dressed in full rescue uniform opened the side door and readied a tow winch to lower himself down with it.

"This is Sea Goblin. I don't see any of the crew, it looks like they couldn't eject and sank with their planes."

"Roger, Sea Goblin."

Thunderhead leaned back in his chair and covered his eyes with a hand, sighing heavily as he felt a pain in his chest that he wasn't used to. He forced himself to give the order for them to return to base, and once Swordsmen verified that the AWACS was going to leave the airspace, he linked up to the Sea Goblin helicopter frequency, the one they shared with their superiors.

"Alright, coast is clear Sea Goblin. You can proceed with the rescue." spoke Swordsman with a smile.

"Roger that Swordsman." spoke the pilot of the helicopter before giving the signal to drop. The marine ready at the cable gave him a thumbs up in return and he was quickly lowered down toward the water, stopping right next to Nagase to which he extended a hand out to.

"Alright, let's go. We've got a new home waiting for you."

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

All planes from the Sand Island detachment were shot down by naval jets from the carrier Kestrel. Likewise, all of the pilots are confirmed dead.

 **\- Kirwin Island, Northwestern Osea -**

 **\- 173°12'24"N 52°32'11"E -**

 **\- December 8th, 2010 1603 hrs -**

The OFS Kestrel was amazing. Gennette had only ever heard of the ship, and now that he was finally on the monumental vessel he saw for himself just how massive an aircraft carrier really was. It was such a testament to the ability of man to build such things.

He had just walked into the Kestrel's bridge and spotted the captain standing before the windows, hands in his pockets. Gennette raised his camera and began recording.

"Captain Andersen. The man who commanded the aircraft carrier Kestrel and kept her afloat through countless battles."

Andersen heard him and turned about face, giving him a warm smile as he took off his cap and ran a hand through his combed back white hair.

"Nah...I'm just a guy who's fought one losing battle after another." he said before Gennette snapped a photo.

Despite what Andersen had said, since the war began, the ship hadn't taken a single hit from enemy forces. At that point in time, the Kestrel was stationed at the lonely air base and dock built on the icy, rocky island where its pilots had flown countless sorties from.

Later the crew was enjoying some down time while the sun was still out, albeit setting towards the horizon, with cups of coffee in their hands being a standard among many. Some were playing and messing around with one another, and one was showcasing his skill with the harmonica.

Grimm was playing fetch with Kirk and a frisbee that happened to be on the carrier, Nagase had found a quiet spot to sit and write in her book, and Captain Snow, the pilot who flew under the Swordsman moniker, was climbing out from his jet after landing a minute previously.

And at the very front of the carrier, right where the deck met open air, Pops and Andersen were sharing some coffee together while chatting.

"This ship may be unharmed, but it pains me to see fewer and fewer pilots coming back every time we launch them out on combat sorties. Now the only pilot left is Captain Snow." said Andersen, looking to the sun and its brilliance. "Nobody wants an aircraft carrier without aircraft. So, we're just sitting idle here."

Pops nod his head in understanding and sighed a little with a smile, looking at the sun too. They were both old dogs who had seen their fair share of the world, and Pops felt right at home being next to someone who could understand his worldview.

So much so that he decided to finally get the weight off his shoulders that he had been carrying for a while now, a long while.

"At the end of he last war, I wa assigned the mission of dropping a nuclear weapon on a city in my own country." Pops said, catching Andersen's attention on the spot. "When I refused and went AWOL, it was Captain Bartlett who took me in."

He glanced over his shoulder back at Grimm as Kirk caught the frisbee, Grimm laughing and clapping his hands for the grown up puppy. Andersen looked too, and thought about saying something, but he only smiled and nod his head again.

"He was a strange man...fifteen years since the war and he never got promoted once."

"Mmm."

"It appears that my country is behind this war as well. They must've taken the president before Osea invaded Yuktobania. The president would never authorize an invasion like this."

They looked to the sun again, and would have continued their conversation if it wasn't for the appearance of a pair of aircraft on approach to the base. One was smaller, a jet fighter, and from that alone Pops knew who it was.


	24. Confessions

A/N Leave a fav and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 22 - Confessions**

 _The demon soars through dark skies_

 _Fear and death trail its shadow beneath_

 _Until men united wield a hallowed sabre_

 _In final reckoning, the beast is slain_

* * *

Since they wanted the meeting to be private, Andersen chose the officer's lounge to be the place where he and the others were to be in order to discuss the recent events and many other unanswered questions.

The arrival of Makarov and the grey Kawasaki C-1 he was escorting had certainly been interesting, and the admiral had been the first to meet the pilot and the cargo of the transport plane. Once things were settled, Makarov joined Andersen at the lounge, where Pops, Gennette, Nagase and Grimm were already there sitting down in chairs they had pulled up.

A third man walked in behind the admiral and helmeted pilot, one Nagase, Grimm and Pops did not know but assumed was affiliated with Makarov. Nagase was a little off put by how Makarov kept his face hidden, despite wearing normal clothes and a bomber jacket, much like the other man.

Andersen left the floor to them, and took a seat next to Pops behind the two younger pilots in order to watch and listen.

"Alright…" Makarov clapped his hands together and nod his head. "It's time to answer some questions, which I know all of you must have in one way or another."

Nagase leaned forward a little, her ears tuned in on every single word the Yuke said.

"What I'll say first is this. It's true that Belka is the culprit behind igniting the war between Yuktobania and Osea." he raised a hand before they could ask anything. "It's not all of Belka, however, we've identified the general masses have no idea that Belkans were the cause of the war. The truth is that the war was orchestrated by a secretive group of military and political officials that want retribution from the war fifteen years ago."

"So...they're terrorists?" asked Grimm, the second man shaking his head. That idea was pushed quickly aside.

"No, not terrorists. These officials call themselves the Grey Men, and they work in the shadows, using agents affiliated with them to carry out their orders."

"I presume some of these agents are the 8492nd Squadron?"

"That's right, Pops." Makarov said. "We've done some digging, and in truth they are in fact the 229th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Grabacr", the same one that participated in the war fifteen years ago. They were the squadron that attacked the engineering college in Yuktobania to frame you, and were also present at November City to drive away the reinforcements."

Makarov and his friend noticed Nagase and Grimm visibly tense at the mentioning of the word, and he chuckled. When they gave him daggers he shook his head, his friend smiling as he walked to the door and turned the doorknob.

"Speaking of November, there's someone who wants to meet you. He watched you two destroy Cruik Fortress and actually warned us about the enemies that were going to ambush you."

Nagase and Grimm were confused, but as soon as the guy opened the door and told whoever was waiting outside to come in, it all went away. He stepped back while keeping the door wide open, and with a clacking of a crutch against the tiles, the one person they thought they'd never be able to see again hobbled his way into the room with sling on and a tired smile.

"Hey guys...I'm not dead, eheh."

"Blaze!"

Nagase and Grimm rocketed out of their seats and would've tackled him if not for his injuries preventing them. Cipher laughed at them as he put his one good arm around Nagase to hug her first, then Grimm after she vacated.

"How did you survive?! We saw you take that missile!" stammered Grimm, Cipher clearing his throat.

"Can I at least sit down first? I messed up my leg a little bit and its pretty tiring hobbling around like this…"

"Oh, of course! Here." Grimm led Cipher to a chair and they helped him down, Cipher heaving a little before resting his single crutch against another chair. He noticed Pops looking at him with a wide grin and gave him a wave, as well as a nod to Andersen, which he returned. He gave a nod to Gennette as well, and the journalist smiled back.

"So…" asked Nagase, sitting down across from him. "How?"

"Well, funny story...I really have no idea. When I got hit, I blacked out when my head struck the side of the canopy."

"It was the will of God, Buddy. That's what." said Makarov with another chuckle. Cipher grinned and shrugged, accepting the explanation.

"Buddy? You two know each other?"

"That's right, for a while actually. This son of a bitch was the one that actually got me out of November. Took me back home and got me fixed up too."

"Back home? To where?" questioned Nagase before she remembered something else. "And who is this we you keep mentioning? Who are you working for, Makarov?"

"I'm with the Ustio Air Force, part of their intelligence gathering service. And we took Cipher here back to his home in Ustio, Valais Air Base."

Pops nearly choked on the coffee he was taking a sip from as they talked, Cipher glancing back at him with Nagase and Grimm. Pops coughed and wiped his lips before he set the mug down and looked at Makarov with an intense stare.

"Did you say Cipher?"

"Ah...whoops. I guess the cat's outta the bag now, Buddy."

"No shit Larry, you ruined the surprise." laughed Cipher. "You can take the helmet off, it's as good as a time as ever to tell them."

"Cipher, Larry? What are you-"

Grimm paused when Makarov removed the mask covering his face, letting it hang from the side of the flight helmet, then slid up the visor, and finally took off the helmet entirely.

With a grin, he introduced himself, "Hey, I'm not really Yuke, the name's Larry Foulke. Nice to meet you all."

They were at a loss for words before Pops slowly stood up, gripping the back of a chair in front of him tightly as shock spread across his face. It was them, he knew he had recognized the symbol on Cipher's coin from somewhere, it was actually *them.

"Well I'll be damned...it's you two…"

"Pops?" asked Nagase.

"Nagase, Grimm, you're in the presence of legends...I can't believe I didn't realize it sooner. Blaze...you were never just some lucky rookie, weren't you?" he asked, Cipher chuckling and nodding.

"Yeah...sorry for hiding the truth…"

"Can someone just tell us what's going on?" asked Grimm, standing up too. "I'm getting more and more confused."

"Allow me…". Cipher grunted as he grabbed his crutch and got back onto his feet, walking up to Larry and turning to face their audience with a lopsided grin.

There was no going back now, it was time for everything to be laid out on the table. No holding anything back.

"My name and callsign isn't Blaze...it's Cipher. You may also know me from a documentary made by an Osean journalist name-"

"Brett Thompson, right?" interrupted Gennette. " I know him, he was a colleague of mine...he interviewed several Belkan aces from the previous war...even you."

Larry nod his head when Gennette addressed him and for the sake of time, he took over for Cipher and telling his friends the truth.

"Cipher and I were mercenary aces that participated in the Belkan War fifteen years ago. We fought for Ustio as the apart of the 6th Air Division, and we were known as the 66th Tactical Fighter Squadron 'Galm'."

Pops had to sit back down in his chair again and ran his hand over his forehead, the truth so much for him it had to take him a few to process it.

He laughed, and brought his eyes back up to the two pilots. "It really is you two. Solo Wing Pixy and the Demon Lord...in the flesh."

"Demon...Lord?"

Cipher and Larry, now that their identities were out and in the open, they went through all of the details of explaining who they were, Cipher more so then Larry. Nagase and Grimm, to say the least, were totally blown away when they found out just how much of a legend Cipher was.

They could hardly believe what they were hearing, and all the way Andersen and Pops, the oldest folks in the room, they chuckled and enjoyed every second of it.

"So what you're telling me is that you were present during this very vessels maiden voyage?" questioned Andersen, Cipher laughing and nodding.

"Present? Of course, I protected the damn thing. It was back when Weeker was still the captain, I had a fun time shooting down Belkan fighters whenever they got close. Remember that Larry?"

"Oh yeah, definitely. What was it, oh right! Operation: Costner, the third part of Offensive Campaign No. 4101. How could I forget?"

The two friends shared a laugh and the latter put one arm around his wounded brother, smiling and grinning.

"You were both in B7R during that huge mothball, right?"

"Hm? Pops?" Nagase looked at the aging mechanic as he stood up again and approached Cipher and Larry. He gave them a warm smile and extended a hand out to Larry first.

"Allow me to introduce myself properly. Former Major of the Belkan Air Force, Wolfgang Buchner, also known as Huckebein the Raven." he firmly shook Larry's hand, Cipher, Grimm and Nagase gasping. "I was the Fishbed you two shot down over B7R that day."

"Holy shit, that was you Pops?!" exclaimed Cipher. "You were the one being chased by Schwarze?"

"How'd you manage that?"

Andersen filled them in on Pops' background and what he refused to do, and they were amazed yet again when they finally got to know how Bartlett and Pops got to know one another.

It also made sense to Nagase and Grimm how Pops was so good at flying, he was a Belkan ace. There were still some questions to be answered, however.

"But wait, if you two are the Galm Team, then who is…" murmured Nagase as she looked at the third man, who had yet to say anything since letting in Cipher.

"My name's James Braxton, but I usually go by Eagle Eye as the AWACS of the 6th Air Division." he replied, winking. "I've worked with Cipher and Larry, all through the Belkan War up to its conclusion."

"Wow…"

"Yeah. Like I told you guys in Duga, I was there at Hoffnung, Larry too." Larry grimaced and looked off to the side, the subject obviously very touchy with him.

"Anyways...that's pretty much it about us. The rest is still pretty touchy, so I'd prefer if we end it there." said Cipher with a nod. Larry seemed to be physically pleased with that resolution and returned to his normal self, even grabbing a can of dip out of his pocket and pulling some out.

Of course that was when Snow decided to enter the room, since he had post-flied briefing and other matters to attend to before he could show up. Giving him a crash course of what had just occurred was Andersen, and almost instantly like his colleagues the naval pilot was astonished.

"To think the Demon Lord was that rookie I blew past over St. Hewlett…"

"Don't worry about it, no hard feelings." replied Cipher with a laugh, Snow returning the laugh.

"Well, with all of that out of the way…"

Andersen walked to the door and rapped his knuckles against it a few times. A few moments later it opened and a man, who was nowhere near Perrault in size, but still large somewhat, walked in wearing a suit with a black long coat and a red tie.

Larry gave him a salute, as did Cipher with his good arm, and James as well. Pops smiled and Andersen tipped his cap, the man returning the gesture with a smile.

"Mr. President, sir."

"We meet again, admiral. Even if it was just a short while ago."

"President?" asked Nagase.

"Allow me to introduce myself. Maxwell Hibrachen, President of Ustio."

Nagase, Grimm and Snow were quick to snap to attention, but the president waved his hand and dismissed the need for them to do that. When introductions were finished, the president propped a foot up on one of the chairs and addressed the pilots directly.

"As to why I'm here, I'm granting authority for Mr. Braxton and Mr. Foulke to assist in your endeavours. The war our old allies are waging currently must be brought to an end."

"Thank you for your help, Mr. President." Andersen smiled, shaking hands with Maxwell. "We appreciate all the help we can get."

Just then some knocks were heard on the door and when James opened it, an officer that must be a regular on the bridge called for Andersen. An intelligence gathering vessel in the fleet, the OFS Andromeda, had received an encrypted message entirely in Belkan.

It detailed a location along the border between Nord Belka and North Osea, the former South Belka.

Waldreich.


	25. Ancient Walls

A/N Leave a fav and review! Get hyped, we're past the halfway mark (basically)!

* * *

 **Chapter 23 - Ancient Walls**

 _The demon soars through dark skies_

 _Fear and death trail its shadow beneath_

 _Until men united wield a hallowed sabre_

 _In final reckoning, the beast is slain_

* * *

 **\- Briefing Rom, OFS Kestrel -**

 **\- December 9th, 2010 0348 hrs -**

Pops walked into the briefing room last and held his hands behind his back, looking at everyone sitting down before him. Having never been inside of a carrier squadron briefing room, sitting in the comfy seats was quite a treat for Nagase and Grimm. Snow was smiling as he sat in his own chair, his actual one, and then proceeded to watch the younger pilots happily.

Joining them was Larry, who sat in a seat closest to the middle aisle so he could be next to Cipher, who was forced to stand since it would be a hassle to try and sit with his injuries. James was at the front of the room with Pops, and when everyone settled in he coughed. The two shared a quick nod and Pops cleared his throat, a step forward bringing him closer to the pilots.

"All right...if there aren't any objections, then I'll take command of this air operation." Pops said before James took center stage.

"We're launching a rescue operation for the President of Osea within the Principality of Belka. The communications intelligence ship, OFS Andromeda, received information that president Harling is being held in Belka."

James turned to the side as the projection screen came on, Pops crossing his arms to watch the world map ping the location and zoom in on the operational area it was located. Larry and Cipher both gulped a little and shivered.

Stier Castle was the only named landmark in the wasteland, and the wasteland of course was the Waldreich Mountains. Both pilots remembered very, very clearly the reason why it made them so apprehensive.

"The location is an old castle positioned on the southern edge of the border zone between Nord Belka and North Ossea. Sea Goblin, our helicopter squadron, will handle the direct rescue effort." James pointed with a finger to the satellite image of the castle, built upon a small drumlin overlooking an icy lake. "After securing the area, the helicopter will descend on the castle and drop our infiltrating rescue squad. It will station keep in the air while the rescue is taking place on the ground and in the castle. Your mission is to provide air support for Sea Goblin's rescue operation and destroy any opposing enemy forces."

Nagase raised a hand, attentive as always. "What about jets?"

"We've captured a Belkan trade ship smuggling fighter jets to Yuktobania. You're free to choose from any on board."

Nagase nodded, satisfied with the answer, and James waited for any more questions. None came, and he turned to Pops to end the briefing.

"If that's all, you're dismissed."

Larry popped up and walked down the aisle to the door, opening it for the others and lastly Cipher, who hobbled out with his one crutch. When they made it to the deck, they spotted the new addition to the Kestrel's small little fleet James mentioned.

The transport ship was moored to the dock right next to the small air base of Kirwin, loaded with containers undoubtedly filled with a single aircraft each. Even from there Pops could see Gründer Industries' company logo painted onto the shipping containers, and he shook his head disdainfully.

"Looks like you two will be flying Sukhois, Grimm, Nagase." Larry said, glancing at them. "Belka manufactures Sukhoi and MiG aircraft primarily, so be sure to pick one that you like."

"Right. Blaze, could - I mean Cipher...could you help Grimm and I out with a crash course?"

"We've never flown Sukhoi aircraft before, so…" Grimm poked his fingers together and Cipher laughed.

"Sure thing guys. Larry, want to help too?"

Larry grinned and agreed, Snow chuckling as he departed to get to his own aircraft that was below deck inside of the Kestrel being prepped as they spoke.

It took a little while for two jets to be taken off the transport ship and rolled out of the shipping containers, but once they were the Kestrel's crew operating the small air base fueled them up and armed them with Osean weaponry. The Su-33s they chose would have to do until more aircraft are shipped to the Kestrel, along with a batch of pilots.

Maxwell had told them that he had requested a squadron of mercenaries from the 6th Air Division to be sent to Kirwin Island under strict secrecy, to prevent any leaks or intrusion. Cipher and Larry were especially excited about this, since they would be able to fly with their former comrades again after fifteen years. After Nagase and Grimm were confident in their ability to pilot the Sukhoi aircraft, Cipher bid them good luck and left with James to join Maxwell at their AWACS aircraft.

Larry took off first in his jet fighter, followed by Nagase and Grimm in their Su-33s, and then lastly James and Cipher. The large 767D took the trail position behind Grimm and Nagase when Snow joined them from the Kestrel with his F-14A, and Larry took Cipher's position as point.

"Looking good Larry, it's been a while since I saw that." remarked Cipher with a grin. Larry chuckled, guessing that he was being observed from behind in the 767D's cockpit.

"I thought it was the right time to bring it back." he replied. "Who knows, maybe I'll be recognized."

The morning sun, as it peaked over the horizon, glistened off his jet fighter with a brilliant radiance. He flew an Ustian F-15D/E, a more advanced model of the F-15C that had gotten all the benefits of advanced technology from Ustio, and just like his old jet fifteen years ago, a single wing had been painted blood red.

Grimm was curious about the reasoning for the peculiar paint job, and Larry gladly told him the story behind it. Grimm, Nagase and even Snow were amazed by the history, and when they learned Larry's nickname, it wrapped it up all nice and compact in a little red bow.

"Solo Wing Pixy...ha, that makes perfect sense." chuckled Snow. "Hope you'll be a good flight lead, mister Solo Wing."

"You're talking to the former Galm Two, Snow. I got this."

 **\- Stier Castle, Northwestern Belka -**

 **\- 27°01'18"N 230°12'02"E -**

 **\- December 9th, 2010 0500 hrs -**

The white capped mountains of Waldreich passed by beneath the squadron as they were on approach to Stier Castle, James marking its location on their radar so they wouldn't miss it. Eventually they arrived at a huge lake bordered by a wall of mountains and hills that were black in areas that weren't covered with snow, and upon seeing the landmark Larry sighed.

He hoped that returning here wouldn't affect him too much, but it was almost impossible to block out the bad memories.

"What is it, Pixy?" asked Grimm, referring to Larry's callsign.

"Ah, nothing…"

Cipher could hear their conversation, as could Maxwell, who was helping him out with the instruments of the 767D while James piloted the aircraft. The president could see the dismay and he gave him a pat on the shoulder as he walked by to get some coffee from the break station.

Cipher smiled a little and threw some headphones on to communicate with his old wingman and friends.

"You're not the only one feeling it Larry...I was there too, after all." Cipher chuckled a tiny bit, trying to introduce some humor.

"Wait, is this…" murmured Nagase, who took a closer look at the circular lake.

"Is this what?"

"Fifteen years ago, this area was ground zero for when Belka detonated the seven nukes on their own soil. That lake is a crater from one of the bombs, actually. This whole place used to be so green...now it's a wasteland..."

Nagase, Grimm and Snow were silent. The importance of their mission to rescue the Osean president had dominated their thoughts up until that point, up to Larry's explanation. Now it came back to them, from their repressed memories of 1995 when they were much younger.

The Belkan War had solidified itself in world history as one of the most violent wars, because of the Belkan military's fierce resistance and refusal to give in. They were willing to do anything to prevent victory for the allied forces, Pops' story of refusing the order to drop a nuclear bomb on their own soil was evidence of that. Speaking of that story, coming to the sight of one of the nuclear bomb detonations told them that this event was what his superiors were planning. If Pops hadn't refused, he could have been responsible for the very crater they were passing over.

June 6th was the fateful day, the day when the Waldreich Mountains were confused with the unholy hellfire of atomic annihilation. What is now known as the Seven Pillars of Belka, to prevent the allied forces from pushing into Nord Belka, the military detonated seven nuclear bombs on its own soil. It was a brazen, and utterly astonishing, act of self sacrifice and defiance.

"Over twenty thousand people lost their lives in the blink of an eye…" uttered Larry. "What I saw that day will forever haunt me, 'til the day I die."

"Same here…"

Nagase looked sadly up into the sky, seeing the small outline of the 767D that Cipher spoke to them from. The Osean pilots were humbled before the experience of their friends. Sure, they had gone through the attack on Apito and November City, but nothing could compare to the atrocities of the Belkan War.

"Hey, Solo Wing."

"Hm?"

"You think you can...tell us a little bit 'bout what you saw? On that day?"

Larry and Cipher were surprised at Snow's eagerness to know about such an infamous period. His sincerity was enough to convince Cipher to allow Larry to tell him, and by extension Grimm and Nagase, his point of view during the mission that ended with the nuclear bomb detonations.

He sighed and gathered himself for the exposition part of him did not want to tell, but despite his apprehension he went forward and described the event in such vivid detail Nagase shuddered. The sky had been cloudy before the bombs went off, but when they did the clouds had been pushed away to reveal a clear blue sky that turned bright yellow and white from the illumination of the mushroom clouds.

From where Larry was, as he described it, he could see at least three of the second mushroom clouds. Each one was just as terrifying as the closest one, their radiant reds, orange and yellows a swirling inferno that truly was hell on earth. Larry ended his story before he went too in depth with details, and because remembering was starting to mess with his emotions and make it difficult to fly.

Even James was shaken by the depiction of that day through Larry's storytelling, his normally calm demeanor cracking slightly.

It was silent until they left the crater behind, Stier Castle drawing ever closer on their radar. They met up with Sea Goblin, who approached from another vector, and continued as a single unit onward to the castle, where Snow tried to break the ice with some small talk.

"It's been a long time since I've flown i formation…"

Wanting to jump in now too, one of the Sea Goblin marines spoke up. "Hey, what happened to the other guy, the one who used to talk a lot. Chopper, right? What happened to him?"

"He's...not here any more…" replied Nagase sadly.

"Oh...I'm sorry."

"Incoming message from the Kestrel, I'm patching it through." informed James, preventing any more emotions from sparking as he transformed into his Eagle Eye personna.

The radio made a slight garble noise as he connected the pilots to the data link he received from the Kestrel.

"Do you read me? You guys should have sigh of the castle by now."

As Pops spoke they did in fact spot Stier Castle and the lake it watched over. James readily updated their radars wen Cipher and Maxwell detected defensive AA installations in the area meant to protect the castle.

"We see it Pops. There are several AA and SAM installations protecting Stier Castle."

"Right. Take them out so Sea Goblin can commence its descent for an insertion."

"Roger that, Kestrel. Everyone follow me, I may not be Cipher but I was his first wingman after all."

Larry did a sharp barrel roll before soaring down toward the ground to attack the first target he spotted. Nagase, Grimm and Snow were blown away by how quick the mercenary pilot was at identifying targets and going after them with intensity, all while maintaining fluid and skillful aircraft maneuvers like it was second nature.

"He flies like the Belkan pilots we fought in Yuktobania…"

"Well yeah, it helps when you've got Belkan blood pumpin' through your veins."

"You're a Belkan?!" gasped Nagase. Larry laughed at how shocked she was after he destroyed a SAM unit with no difficulty at all.

He gave them a brief explanation about his heritage, how he was born in Belka to a Belkan family and how he attended the Belkan Air Force academy in Dinsmark, only to get kicked out right before graduation and leave to take up the life of a mercenary.

With a push from Cipher, Nagase, Grimm and Snow had to listen as they helped Larry eliminate the defenses for the castle so he didn't do all of the work for them.

"What about you Captain?" asked Grimm. "Are you Belkan too?"

"That's a secret for me to keep." Cipher replied with a snicker.

"You know Cipher, the guys and I back at Valais actually have a bet going on about where you're from."

"Really?" Cipher turned his head a little to look at the cockpit, seeing James glance back at him and nod his head.

"Well damn, what's at it now?"

"So far the pot is up to five hundred dollars, with the big choices being Belkan, Osean, and Ustian." Larry said with a chuckle. "Hell, even you being Yuke or Usean came in too. That last one came up only because of what happened back in 05."

"Ah hell, you told someone? Or was it you James?"

"I did tell someone, sorry." James replied.

"Well who made that bet I was Usean?"

Maxwell raised his hand as he took a sip of his coffee, Cipher giving him a baffled look before he busted out laughing. Ustio's President was even in on the bet about where he came from which made it all the more hilarious.

"How about this, for saving me I'll give you guys a hint. I'm not a Yuke."

Larry wheezed at the reveal and Nagase smiled too at the old friends sharing such light-hearted, jovial discussion in the midst of a mission to rescue the Osean president from his Belkan kidnappers.

"Crow One ain't going to enjoy that."

"Why?"

"He's the one who made the bet that you were a Yuke."

Cipher and Larry shared another laugh with one another as Snow destroyed a gunboat that left the dock house situated on the coast of the lake below. With that the AA and SAM batteries around Stier Castle were destroyed, and Sea Goblin was able to drop its infiltration squad in the courtyard of the castle.

Two snipers took up a position to watch over the courtyard entrance after they roped down while the main force entered the castle through the front entrance. The helicopter repositioned to a secondary courtyard over the castle and held its position, while the pilots in the air entered a wide holding pattern to wait for any requests.

"So this whole area used to be green?" questioned Snow openly to no one in particular. "It's hard to imagine it like that…"

"Yeah, I understand. But it's true, the whole mountain range used to be beautiful. Rolling green hills, farmland, and cozy little towns like the one down there next to Stier Castle use to be common place. But…"

Larry trailed off, Snow nodding his head since he already knew the reason why everything disappeared and turned white. The nuclear bombs had drastically changed the whole environment of the Waldreich Mountains, the detonations causing the local climate to rapidly cool and create a nuclear winter. Entire mountains were vaporized in an instant, and vast swaths of land were rendered inhospitable to animals or humans because of the fallout.

The respite they had turned brief when enemy ground units, alerted to the infiltration most likely from a survivor either from an AA piece or a SAM unit, started to mobilize and bear down on the castle from all sides.

Enemy tanks and more SAM units, they wanted to take back the castle and kill anyone in their way.

"Enemy round forces mobilizing to the castle." reported James before he performed a pylon turn to fly in a large circle around the castle from high up.

With the signal from James, he gave the radio station to Maxwell and hopped over to the weapons station, activating them and grinning as the aiming reticle for all three weapon systems appeared on screen.

They revealed themselves from the body of the 767D; The first was a GiL30mm cannon, which Cipher wouldn't be using, then a 40mm Bofors, and finally a 105mm railgun that allowed for the aircraft to not be so close to its targets to hit them.

"Wardog, I'll handle the ground targets. Focus on any enemy reinforcements from the air."

"How will you-"

A faint pop came from above when the sound barrier was broken and one of the tanks erupted into flame and smoke. Larry and Snow chuckled when Nagase and Grimm were rendered speechless, and a quick explanation informed them of the 767D's capabilities.

"The stone structures inside this castle are quite impressive." spoke one of the marines as they creeped through the halls of the castle.

"It feels like there's more than just our enemies lurking in this place."

As they continued their search for the president within the bowels of the castle, more reinforcements appeared on radar.

"Multiple hits on radar. Enemy aircraft are inbound." said Maxwell when they were detected on radar, coming from the north.

They must have been scrambled upon hearing news of the attack on the castle, and were now frantically attempting to prevent the rescue of the president from their clutches. James was quick to relay the information to the Sea Goblin helicopter and to hide itself from the jets it flew closer to the castle among the towers, making itself as small as a target as possible.

The enemy jets soon arrived in the area and Snow was baffled when he saw the jets they were flying, the same grey Berkuts the others encountered in Yuktobania.

"Be careful of these jets snow, they're Berkuts. Belkan made, incredibly agile, highly lethal." cautioned Larry. "Stick with me, I'll help you out. Nagase, Grimm, you got this?"

"We remember from Yuktobania, we can handle ourselves."

The four pilots met the Belkan pilots head on, their respective forces clashing over the lake and filled the sky with the roars of their jet engines.

"Looks like they were able to bolster their own forces with funds they got from selling weapons to Osea and Yuktobania…"

Cipher frowned after he returned to his proper station, relieving Maxwell from it with a shoulder tap. As soon as he sat down gunfire came in through the radio from within the castle, followed by shouting and grunts.

"Sea Goblin, is everything okay?"

"We've secured the president and we're getting the hell outta here!"

"Roger that Sea Goblin! Guys, protect the chopper until Sea Goblin has safely boarded it with the president! Don't let a single Belkan jet get near it!"

Inside of the castle the president was being practically manhandled by the marines, since Belkan soldiers were seemingly pouring from the walls and tapestries themselves to try and prevent his rescue. One marine apologized when he roughly pushed the president to the ground behind a table, another covering him as they opened fire on a group of soldiers at the other end of the room.

"It's quite alright...just make sure you're careful too!" replied the president with a chuckle.

"On your right, your right!"

"Got him!"

They eliminated the threat and the president returned to his feet, scurrying down the hallway with the marines to a large banquet hall where they immediately had to take cover when bullets flew by them. The president was pushed to his knees again as the marines took cover behind anything that was close, taking shots at the Belkans on the other end of the huge table.

"Geez, a gunfight with only a banquet table between us." joked a marine. "And they didn't even prepare dinner for us."

"How rude. Whoa, shit!"

A bullet ricocheted off a marine's helmet, and when it made the man fall onto his back, the president was there checking to make sure he was okay. The marine assured he was fine and got back up, joining the fight with his compatriots again.

All of a sudden the glass ceiling above them shattered when a Belkan soldier, on his way down from being shot, pulled the trigger and fired skyward through it. A marine covered the president as the razor sharp glass fragments fell all over them and the dining table. Once the raining shards came to a stop, they finished off the rest of the enemy soldiers and moved on.

They left the dining hall behind and scrambled down another long hallway flanked by a wall of windows that oversaw the courtyard of the castle, before eventually arriving outside at an open section with one of the huge outside walls blocking their path.

The soldiers had to take cover behind broken or still standing statues and other structures when Belkan soldiers swarmed their position, firing on them from multiple angles.

"We have to blow this wall to get out of here!"

"The explosives we brought with us can't take this whole thing down!"

The marine covering the president growled before he grabbed his radio and held the transmitter button down to shout, "This is Sea Goblin. We've run into enemy fire from multiple positions in the castle, we're pinned down over here. Break it down for us!"

"Where's the president?"

"He's right here beside me."

Nagase let out a sigh of relief and she reaffirmed herself of their mission, veering off from the air engagement to take up the task of freeing the marines from trouble. Eagle Eye marked the area of the wall she needed to destroy with a single missile and she locked on.

The marines and the president braced themselves when Nagase called out the strike, and a moment later the wall exploded into the courtyard like a shotgun. Belkan soldiers were knocked flat on their backs from the shockwave, or they were injured by the lethal chunks of debris that came with it.

With the wall gone, they could finally escape. Covering fire ensued as the helicopter lowered itself down next to the hole, and the marines hustled their way to it with the president in their midst.

"Sea Goblin, we'll take on the enemy planes. Leave the airspace immediately." Nagase ordered as she destroyed one of the Berkuts.

The chopper booked it from the castle under the cover of their allies after picking up everyone else, and the Belkans couldn't do anything about it. They couldn't even get close thanks to Larry and Snow stopping them, and if they got past, Nagase and Grimm ended their chances right then and there.

"Grimm, behind you! Fox two!"

"Thank you Nagase!" exclaimed Grimm when she shot down the fighter tailing him.

"Is that you?"

Nagase turned her gaze to the fleeing Sea Goblin helicopter, the voice they heard from so long ago instantly recognizable as the president's, their Mr. Cargo.

"The lady with the pretty voice? Are you there, too?"

"Yes, sir." she replied, smiling.

"I'm right above you Mr. President. Or should I call you Mr. Cargo?" asked Cipher with a chuckle, receiving one from the president as well.

"So Andersen's realized what's going on behind the scenes too, right?" he asked.

A marine close by set his rifle down and was leaning over to check on him before he was stopped by the president, who told him to check the man next to him who had taken a bullet to the shoulder to protect him.

Eventually Sea Goblin got far enough away, and since they had sustained plenty of losses, the Belkans gave up the fight and made a hasty retreat from the airspace. With them now gone, Larry and the rest formed up around the helicopter for the return trip back to the Kestrel.

"Thank you, everyone." said the president, thanking them all. "I appreciate your efforts. And I suppose I owe you another one."

"Not at all, the slate is clean sir. It's good to have you back."

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

Mission accomplished. President Harling was safely retrieved. The president is showing some signs of fatigue, but in general, his condition is good.

 **\- OFS Kestrel, Kirwin Island -**

 **\- December 9th, 2010 1860 hrs -**

When they got word that the president was with Andersen on the bridge of the Kestrel, Grimm and Nagase bolted as fast as they could. They wanted to see the man they had rescued for the second time now, the first under his alias "Mr. Cargo"., and now, as President Harding. They arrived in the doorway, breathing a little hard, and stopped when they saw the man himself.

He was chatting with Andersen, standing right across from him with a cup of coffee in his hands to warm him up. Andersen had given him one of his trench coats to wear, and he looked great in it.

Apparently he spent his days confined in the old castle looking at the seven ground zero craters right out his window, which served as the border between the two countries of Nord Belka and North Osea.

Maxwell was there too, and he shook hands with the Osean president one last time before bidding his farewell. His job was finished, and he was thankful to have participated in such an important rescue, of which Harling was thankful for to the Ustian president for assisting with. The two would become close friends.

As Maxwell walked by Nagase and Grimm, Harling noticed them and smiled, pausing Andersen in order to turn his attention to the two pilots. He saluted them, not as a president, but as a fellow man whose life they had saved. What they were talking about, Harling and Andersen, was news of the war over in Yuktobania. In the end, the Osean Army couldn't take the Yuktobanian capital, and the war had begun to get bogged down.

For Belka, who challenged the war to battle but were crushed by the twin powers of Osea and Yuktobania, there could be no sweeter revenge. They had created the hatred between the two countries, hoping that the war would eventually exhaust them both.

The military officials on both sides were playing right into their hands.

"I can't believe there were this many people in my own country who wished to wage war…" muttered Harling, running a hand through his hair. "Perhaps I was too naive to believe in world peace…"

"Please, don't say that. You weren't naive at all, sir." He brought his gaze up to Nagase, the one who had spoken. She had a proud and determined expression, truly believing what she said with all her heart.

"We all still believe in you and your wish for peace, one hundred percent."

"She's right, you know."

Harling looked past Nagase, and she turned around with Grimm to watch Cipher walk his way into the bridge with Larry at his side. When he and Harling looked eye to eye, Cipher raised himself up off his crutch and gave him a salute.

"I was the flight lead for Wardog Squadron sir, when we assisted in your emergency landing. By then I went by Blaze, but now it's Cipher."

"Cipher? Don't don't mean-"

"Cipher, Galm Team's number one of the Ustio Air Force 6th Air Division, 66th Tactical Fighter Squadron, sir."

"Larry Foulke, Galm Team's number two."

Larry held his grin as he too saluted Harling, and completely baffled he wasn't sure what to do at first. Cipher chuckled and explained the whole story in bullet points to the president, which helped him greatly to understand the situation. Once that was out of the way, Harling enjoyed a wonderful conversation with Cipher, Larry, and the other pilots in the bridge, and all the while Andersen merely observed with a smile and an occasional sip of coffee.

 **\- December 10th, 2010 0900 hrs -**

The intelligence vessel continued to intercept the Yuktobanian Army's communications without them finding out anything of it. One message, from Air Force Traffic Control, contained a string of mysterious numbers. Latitude, longitude, a date and time, and one more set of numbers.

When shown a the paper slip with the message on it, the president had the answer.

"Well how about that," said Harling, baffled. "These are the number of votes I won in my presidential elections. This is from the first time I won, and here's the number from the election two years ago. This message was meant for me!"

The coordinates marked a location within Nord Belkan territory, and the date was tomorrow. With only a day's work of preparation ahead of them, a decision was made to give the Wardog pilots, which now ceremoniously included Snow, a whole new makeover. The squadron from Sand Island became the president's personal air fleet, even as the official reports continued to state they were shot down and killed.

Cipher, who was still injured and incapable of flying, Nagase, Snow, and Grimm stood at attention in front of Harling. Larry and Pops stood a few steps and to the right behind the president as their friends stood at attention, receiving their new official designation from Harling himself.

With help from Ustio one last time, they received a fresh batch of F-14D Super Tomcats that were loaded with new, state of the art Ustian tech that put it on par with a jet like the F-22A Raptor. All of its parameters had been boosted, making it even more lethal then before. And to top it all off, they received a new paint job personally from Pops and those on the carrier who helped him.

Pitch black bodies, blood red tail and rudder wings tips, and a new squadron symbol bearing the visage of the mythical demon itself. Their new name?

The Razgriz Air Command Squadron.


	26. Solitaire

A/N Leave a fav and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 24 - Solitaire**

 _As the demon sleeps, man turns on man_

 _His own blood and madness soon cover the earth_

 _From the depths of despair awaken the Razgriz_

 _Its raven wings ablaze with majestic light_

* * *

 **\- Briefing Room, OFS Kestrel -**

 **\- December 11th, 2010 0569 hrs -**

"We're carrying out a reconnaissance mission in order to obtain photographs of the enemy complex. After deciphering the code we received earlier, we learned that the mining facility in the forest area near the border of Nord Belka and North Osea is active."

The projector screen behind Pops shifted to an overhead view of an area that Cipher, who from some incredible medical technology from Ustio, was healed and cleared to fly, knew all too well.

Mt. Schirm, the former location of the massive hangar the Belkans had used to build and store their experimental Heavy Command Cruiser named XB-0 "Hresvelgr".

"An early-warning radar network has been spread across the entire forest too. To reduce the probability of an enemy detection, this mission will be carried out by a single aircraft, Cipher." Pops motioned with his hand across the screen as an arrow made a path through the forest to the facility. "Try to approach the target under complete electronic silence, evading radar and passive search techniques."

Cipher chuckled and glanced back over his shoulder at the newcomers, Crow One and the rest of his squadron. He and Larry were thrilled to see they were chosen to be sent to their assistance, and Snow was happy to have pilots back on the Kestrel.

Nagase and Grimm, on the other hand, were humbled to be in the presence of the experienced mercenaries.

"You will receive instructions on your target from the CIC upon arriving in the mission area. Your plane in this mission will be completely stripped of weaponry, and instead equipped with the necessary visual reconnaissance equipment."

Cipher groaned slightly and he was shaken around when Crow One clapped his hand on his shoulder, snickering.

"There is a chance you may encounter the enemy, but your mission takes top priority. Once you take the photos, egress from the target area and return through the enemy defenses as directed. Dismissed."

 **\- Mt. Schirm, Western Belka -**

 **\- 30°16'54"N, 222°04'57"E -**

 **\- December 11th, 2010 0749 hrs -**

Cipher entered the mission airspace with his wingmen, and Larry, the five of them not joined by Crow Squadron since the mission didn't require that many escorts. James was above them as per usual, monitoring his position on radar and being the bridge that kept Cipher reliably connected to the Kestrel.

With a final wave he bid farewell to his escorts and proceeded alone from there, lowering his altitude as he did. He wanted to hit the ground running when the radar coverage zones were reached; get in, and get out fast, that was the name of this game.

"How you feelin' Cipher?" Pops was talking to him directly, and would be his only talking buddy.

"Fine, Pops. Feels great to be back in a jet."

"I can understand that. I bet you're missing having your friends with you right now too?"

Cipher nod his head and chuckled, that being enough of an answer for Pops that he chuckled too.

"Solo flights can be real lonely, but that's what flying is all about really." Pops replied. "But anyways, take a look at your radar. The enemy's radar detection range is marked out by these circles Eagle Eye is putting up now. Make sure you don't enter any of these areas, and fly to the east."

Cipher confirmed and finished his dive, shooting over the trees below him with a thunderous roar that disturbed a great many birds that were previously nestled in the branches. Like Pops had pointed out, he looked at his radar and the detection zones surrounding Mt. Schirm.

It was almost exactly like the escort mission for Harling way back then, only it was no escort mission. He was penetrating Belkan territory to discover the truth behind the message sent to them anonymously. Cipher just wished he could have at least some backup.

"Maintain radio silence until you reach the destination." stated Pops. "Once there, I'll then explain the target and how to photograph it. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Good luck."

Cipher's radio then went dead silent and the pilot was left alone with his thoughts, the only company he'll have the entire trip.

Cutting through the forest this way and that was a winding river, its waters calm and sparkling with the sun rays shining in through the clouds above. It was probably cold too, and would be a great place to splash around and have fun in it, or even fish too. Cipher imagined himself doing any of these things with his wife back home, and smiled.

He couldn't wait to finally return home to her, and he was actually wondering how she'd react to to Nagase's apology for what happened. That smile and laugh, he wished he could hear it now.

"Guess I'll follow the river...should take me right up to where I need to go, more or less."

Diverting his course a little he flew over the river like a car would drive on a road, staying within either side and the trees. Nothing but green flanked his sides, but every so often he'd have to cut over a part of the forest to the next section of the river.

The enemy radar wasn't doing him any favors, after all, and he had to be mindful about his position in relation to them. If he went any higher the risk of detection would go up, so there were a few close calls doing this too.

Cipher made a wide swing over a bend and cursed when the river cut right through a circle, and the landscape sloped upward on either side into hills . The only choice was to go around, but he would be cutting it exceptionally close.

He took the chance and banked right, rising up over the trees and continuing to turn around the radius as it grew larger and larger with the increase in altitude. It got within mere inches of his marker on his radar screen before he swooped over a nearby quarry and dove for the river at top speed.

"Whoa! Too close!" he gasped after slowing down, returning to a more normal speed. " I hate these kinds of missions…"

Cipher shook his head and pressed onward. Thankfully, especially so for Cipher because of his dislike, the mission got a whole lot easier for him when the river almost perfectly brought him to his destination without any trouble.

He had reached Mt. Schirm. The familiar mountain stood before him, along with the same airfield at the base. It was nostalgic, in a good way and bad.

"Alright, you've arrived over the target area. Cancel radio silence." spoke Pops. "I'm monitoring your progress with a low resolution, and it looks like something's being moved from the mine entrance to those transport planes."

Cipher squinted and spotted the transport craft and the line of trucks approaching them from the mountain. The mine entrance he could see too, clear as day, and he wondered what it was the Belkans were removing from Mt. Schirm.

"Let's get a photo with the mine entrance and the transport planes in the frame. The camera is triggered by the missile launch button, by the way."  
"Oh, that's helpful. I can imagine I'm firing on these guys."

Cipher snickered to himself as he slowed down and lined up the perfect shot to capture everything Pops and the guys back home would need. Once he had everything in frame, snap went the camera with the press of a button.

The photo went through without any troubles, and Pops pointed out that he could see members of the Grabacr Squadron on the runway of their base. Specifically it was their fighter jets, the same F-15S/MTDs they flew under their disguise. He also noticed a second squadron made of dull grey Su-35s, four of them, only instead of the OADF roundel on them, it was the Yuktobanian Air Force.

"Seems the Grey Men are sending aggressors posing as allies over to Yuktobania as well." remarked Cipher as he flew over the base.

In his fly by he attracted the attention of the Belkan pilots and they were both baffled and awed by Cipher's pitch black F-14D. In that moment, Cipher was able to swing back around and line up another perfect shot of both squadrons and their jet fighters sitting pretty. Snap went the camera, and Pops got it a split second later.

"Photo received. This is just the evidence we need, nice work."

"Thanks, now I gotta bug out. Those Belkans are scrambling for their jets." replied Cipher as he booked it away from the base.

He knew the Belkans would be hot on his tail, and sure enough with a glance over his shoulder his suspicions were confirmed. The Grabacr fighters and the Yuke impersonators were already off the tarmac and speeding along to catch up to him and shoot him down for spying.

Cipher grinned, he figured he could toy with the Belkans a little. A little less speed, and he allowed them to catch up enough to get a good glimpse of his jet fighter and see it in all its glory.

"That plane...I don't see any air force roundels on it."

"Black body and red wingtips...just what is it?"

With the blast of his afterburners CIpher cut their chatter short by zooming away from them at top speed, the monstrous engines of the modified F-14D doing wonders for him. Flying this bird after all its upgrades from Ustio was making him love it again, and he couldn't be happier about it.

Grabacr and the other squadron made an attempt to pursue, but had to back off when Cipher left the area and Larry, Grimm, Nagase and Snow asserted their presence by meeting their leader as he left.

"Need a lift home, sir?" asked Grimm merrily.

"Whew. Yo Buddy, still alive?" Cipher grinned at his closest friends catchphrase, and they shared a laugh.

"Yeah, I'm still here Buddy."

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

The images taken clearly show aircraft from the Yuktobanian aggressor squadron parked next to planes from the mysterious 8492nd Squadron, now identified as the Belkan Grabacr Fighter Squadron. We will continue to analyze the photographs you took.

 **\- Central Belka -**

 **\- 1300 hrs -**

The darkness around him, he had accustomed himself to it for quite a while now. It's been a while since he had seen the outside of his own volition, and not through the tiny little window in his cell.

He wondered why he had ended up there, in such a dreary, cold place, and immediately answered that question. He'd dug too deep into matters that didn't concern him and went looking, connecting the dots and putting the puzzle together to figure out a conspiracy that would rock the whole of his nation,

Because of that, he was discovered, and forced to flee. He thought he'd be safe in Osea, but they were deceived too, and he was shot down. He was then taken here, to this dreary place, and has been there ever since. But he smiled. The man knew that he would find salvation soon, one of the guards at this facility had sympathised with him, and they spoke.

They would come, he assured the man. He'd make sure of it.

 **\- Briefing Room, OFS Kestrel -**

 **\- December 12th, 2010 0854 hrs -**

Cipher was actually surprised by how quickly they were already back in the briefing room the very next day for a new operation, which meant the photos he took must have been plenty of reason to return to Mt. Schirm.

There was little chit chat among them when Pops entered with James, and as soon as the door closed the briefing began with no hesitation.

"Analysis of the surveillance photos taken on the previous mission revealed tactical nuclear weapons of the same type used by Belka in the war fifteen years ago."

Larry and Cipher flinched a little when they were reminded of the bombs detonated at Waldreich and seeing their reaction, Pops moved right along to the meat of the briefing. They were going back to Mt. Schirm in order to destroy the rockface over the mine entrance and seal any more Belkan nukes up for good. Even Crow was being utilized for this mission. All hands on deck, so to speak, which gave them plenty of firepower to get the job done.

To be able to fly with Ustian mercenaries again after fifteen years, Larry and Cipher glanced at one another and grinned. This was going to be a blast.

"This mission will be carried out by Razgriz. Solo Wing and Crow Squadron will patrol the mission area borders, attacking any stragglers if necessary. Once all enemies have been dealt with, however, you're free to assist in destroying the rock face above the entrance. Dismissed."

 **\- Mt. Schirm, Western Belka -**

 **\- December 12th, 2010 1312 hrs -**

Returning back to the awful mountain, Grimm was rather cheery and made it known by stating they didn't have to worry about avoiding any radar today. So what if the enemy knew they were coming? It was going to be a cake walk, according to him.

"No, not at all. Never take anything like it's easy or you'll regret it. Understood?"

"Right, sorry Captain...I should know better."

Snow chuckled, as did Larry. It was a typical response from the veteran, he had seen plenty of things and learned from plenty of his mistakes to know what was wrong and right in every situation.

"I still can't believe I'm flying with a couple of legends." said Crow One. "I mean, we got Solo Wing and Cipher, the god damn Demon Lord. It's incredible."

"I can't believe he flew around this place all by himself...just thinking about those nukes that are buried up ahead gives me the chills."

"Those nukes are exactly why the Belkans have lowered themselves to sneaking around, pitting two countries against each other." stated Snow, disgusted. "You give a man enough weapons, he'll start to think he's more powerful than he really is."

"Exactly. That's why we've got to end this."

Eagle Eye decorated their radar with the location of all the enemy Belkan forces located within the area, concentrating primarily around the mountain itself and a few quarries leading up to it. Leading the charge with his squadron, they attacked the first quarry together and caught the enemy by surprise with their sudden intrusion.

"Fox two!" Snow took down a Berkut, and Cipher did the same right after.

Grimm and Nagase utterly mopped the floor with the SAM and AA installations swarming the quarry itself, and all as a group they continued forward to the next quarry location.

"To tell you the truth, the thought of nuclear weapons just terrifies me. Do you think they've already carried all of them out?" asked Grimm nervously, a rare occurrence for the usually optimistic pilot.

"Let's hope they haven't." replied Cipher. "Let's not bring our energy down. Alright?"

"Yes Captain!"

"Much better, Grimm." said Nagase with a smile.

They reached the second quarry in a little under a minute, but because of a warning sent from the first, the defenders here were ready for them this time. The single squadron of Su-47s engaged them head on, while the AA guns below lit up the sky with lethal air burst rounds. Waiting for their chance to strike, the SAMs followed them hungrily too.

"Send a message back to Schirm! That black fighter is back with company, there's four of 'em now!"

With a stroke of luck for both sides the Belkans were able to send the alert back to the main compound, right before a missile from Snow destroyed the building containing the radio room. Now in disarray, the defenders fell quickly to the Razgriz.

Only the Berkuts proved to be difficult, but once Cipher focused his efforts on them his overwhelming combat prowess made short work of the Belkans.

"Let's keep going."

Ten minutes later and the rock face had been utterly obliterated by the four pilots, sealing within any nuclear bombs the Belkans could have removed at a later time. The Grabacr squadron and other aggressor squadron had been long gone, as were the transport planes Cipher saw yesterday.

But there wasn't any celebrating going on. Crow, Larry, and the four Razgriz pilots were all silent as they soared past Mt. Schirm to go deeper into Belka. The reason why was a simple, but shocking one. Eagle Eye had received a transmission from the Kestrel about a mysterious message picked up by the Andromeda, something that wasn't totally unusual.

The ship was doing its job, intercepting mysterious and suspicious radio transmission and searching for anything that could be of use to them. But this one had put everything on halt, and called for an immediate mission change to address it. No arguments were made, there was no time to lose.

They were going to Avalon.

 **^^^^MISSION UPDATE^^^^**

The primary mission has been accomplished. With the resulting rock avalanche from your attacks, the mine entrance is now sealed off, and the tactical nukes have been removed as a threat to the world. Intel has already lost tracks of the nukes already removed, but it is certain that the weapons sealed in the mine shaft will never be deployed. However, we are now shifting this operation into an immediate search and rescue operation to find a Yuktobanian pilot imprisoned by the Grey Men. Bring him back alive.


	27. Where the King Slumbered

A/N Leave a fav and review! I very much enjoyed writing this one for obvious reasons :)

* * *

 **Chapter 25 - Where the King Slumbered**

 _As the demon sleeps, man turns on man_

 _His own blood and madness soon cover the earth_

 _From the depths of despair awaken the Razgriz_

 _Its raven wings ablaze in majestic light_

* * *

 **\- Mund Valley, Central Belka -**

 **\- 29°55'00"N 234°30'00"E -**

 **\- December 12th, 2010 1721 hrs -**

Cipher looked up at the gloomy skies above them as they entered the heart of Belka and shuddered. He couldn't believe he was back at this dreadful place, and he figured Larry was feeling the same way, as was James too. The grey, snowy and lifeless landscape of Mund Valley gripped by winter's grasp passed by as they flew over it.

Nagase, Grimm and Snow could almost feel the anxiety existing between their flight lead, Larry, and the Ustian mercenaries upon entering the airspace. They just had to know what was going on, so Grimm spoke up for them.

"What exactly is this place?"

"This is Mund Valley, in the heart of Nord Belka...it's home to the Avalon Dam, a civilian dam." replied Crow One. "But there's more to it then meets the eye."

"The dam houses a missile silo facility that's usually hidden beneath the dam's reservoir lake, which was use by-"

"Can we please not talk about it? I'd like to get out of this place as quick as possible…" muttered Larry. The bad memories were beginning to leak back into his mind and the only way he could make them go away was not think at all.

"Yeah...same here, to be honest…"

Nagase and Grimm were put off by how quiet their flight lead was, and how depressed he sounded. It was like a completely different Cipher had replaced their usually animated Cipher and taken the controls of his jet, piloting it for him.

It could be the weather, anyone could feel melancholic when flying or being in such dreary and cold conditions, but even that wasn't usually enough to get to Cipher. Glubina had been worse in the weather category with its snowstorms and fierce winds, so that option was tossed aside. Then it clicked. Cipher and Larry had been in the Belkan War together, and if both of them were acting in such a way about coming to this seemingly obscure location, something must have certainly happened here.

"Cipher...what happened here?" questioned Nagase softly.

"Nagase, you don't want to-"

"Cipher, telling them is probably the best option right now." interrupted James. "I'm not doubting your skills, or Larry's too, but flying with those memories of yours could affect you negatively."

Larry and Cipher were silent, they couldn't argue with the truth behind their AWACS' words. Cipher glanced at his buddy, who was right next to them, and he swore he could see Larry open his eyes and nod his head once to say that he could try.

"Please, we're worried Captain."

"Yeah, Cipher, what's on your mind? We know about the nuclear detonations, but no one's ever gone past that point into what happened afterwards." said Snow, backing up James' statement.

Cipher let out a heavy sigh and leaned back in his flight seat, setting his jet on autopilot so he wouldn't have to worry himself too much with the controls as he gathered his thoughts. This was going to be an effort, recalling everything that had occurred here in Mund, but if they were wanting to know he was going to make sure they heard everything.

"What you're all about to learn is something top secret, an event that no one else knows except for the highest echelons of command within our respective countries. What's talked about here doesn't leave, got it?"

His wingmen readily obliged and Crow One settled in with his squadron, letting Larry and Cipher have the center stage since they were there personally, and he only heard about it. With everyone accounted for, Cipher cleared his throat.

"Well, you see...the Belkan War officially ended on June 19th with the peace treaty signing in Lumen, a Belkan city at the time. It's in Sapin now, but-"

"I deserted...from Ustio…" murmured Larry.

Cipher closed his mouth when his friend interrupted him, hearing a gasp resonate from the other Razgriz pilots. Way to drop on them easy Larry, Cipher thought to himself with a slow shake of the head.

"You deserted…? When?"

"Immediately after the bombs were detonated over Waldreich. I almost...shot down Cipher too." revealed Larry. "When I couldn't, I fled the mission area."

"Why? Why did you desert?" questioned Snow, his morals taking the reins. He was a strict military man and didn't take too kindly with deserters, so already he was getting somewhat irritated with the former mercenary before Cipher coughed and spoke up again.

"It wasn't just Larry, Snow. At that point in the war, it turns out that both sides were beginning to wonder if the war was truly worth continuing, and why so much blood had to be shed."

Cipher looked down at his hands and rubbed them together, closing his eyes too. He was in full story telling mode now, and there was no stopping him now. He recalled every last bit of information he had learned about from personal experience and from sources after the war had ended.

"Men and women deserted from Osea, Ustio, Sapin and Belka. It wasn't just one country, it was from all of them. Notable squadrons that defected were the 32nd Osean Air Force Squadron "Wizard", and its sister squadron "Sorcerer", led by Joshua Bristow and Anthony Palmer, respectfully."

"Holy shit, I remember those guys!" gasped Snow. "Those two were legends! They defected?!"

"They did...and we all met up with a squadron from Sapin called Espada in central Belka to meet with Anton Kupchenko...the supposedly leader of the Belkan 5th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Gault" that had all been confirmed as KIA." stated Larry, taking a break before continuing. "Together, we formed a new organization aimed at bringing the world into a new era, one without politics or borders. We called it,"

"A World With No Boundaries."

Cipher finished Larry's sentence for him, and the two went silent again to let all of that information sink in for Nagase, Grimm, and Snow. Snow was reeling from learning about the two Osean aces he had remembered hearing of in his youth, and Nagase was utterly speechless.

Grimm could hardly believe what he had just heard and the revelation resonated with the three pilots for a few minutes. When he felt like an appropriate amount of time had passed, Cipher cleared his throat again, but Larry stopped him to tell the story himself.

"Once we formed the AWWNB, we utilized Kupchenko's connections with Project Pendragon to come into possession of the Avalon Dam complex, as well as the V2 missile it contained. During the six month void between the peace treaty signing and December, we also confiscated the experimental XB-0 Heavy Command Cruiser and used it as our mobile base."

From there Larry and Cipher both went on to tell of the events that occured in december after the nuclear bomb detonations and the official end of the war. Lumen was bombed by the XB-0, which Larry flew, and then Valais Air Base was attacked soon after too before they attempted to flee to Belka over the Waldreich Mountains.

Cipher and PJ, a former member of Crow who had become Galm Squadron's number two in Larry's absence, pursued the XB-0 and were successful in shooting it down and its escort fighters. Nagase, Grimm and Nagase were further shocked when they learned that specific battle took place over the same area of Waldreich that Stier Castle was located in.

"Then came the fun part…" chuckled Cipher, the laugh feeling empty. "The Ustio Air Force, as well as some squadrons from Osea, were brought together for an operation under kept under a strict code of silence. We were ordered to attack the Avalon Dam and stop the AWWNB from launching the V2 at all costs."

"What...exactly is V2? Captain?" asked Grimm. "All we've ever heard of was V1, which were-"

"The bombs used by Belka over Waldreich, yeah, that would be in the history books." interjected Larry with a nod. "Long story made short, V2 is a MIRV missile...it's a carrier for numerous warheads stored inside that's launched during the post-boost phase."

"From the schematics I remember from the briefing, it carried eight warheads. They could be normal ballistic warheads to nukes just as powerful as the ones detonated by Belka. We didn't know at the time if they were one or the other, but we couldn't take that chance."

"They were nukes...all eight warheads were nukes…"

Grimm and Nagase both gulped, and Snow could hardly think of something to say. The thought of a single missile carrying that much destructive potential appalled them, and they couldn't believe that such a weapon was almost launched. They didn't know what was coming next.

"But anyways, to reach Avalon, the force was split between the main force that would advance through Glatisant, while PJ and I went through the Round Table to draw their forces away."

"The Round Table?"

"The now former Belkan Priority One Strategic Airspace B7R." explained Crow One, speaking up for the first time. "It was called the Round Table because of the way the mountains in the region formed a circle."

"And it was an even playing ground for all sides. No one faction held an advantage over the other, a win or a loss was decided solely on skill alone."

Larry looked over at Cipher with a small smile. "All of the pilots that entered that region were aces, but my Buddy over there...he topped them all."

"The Demon Lord of the Round Table…" murmured Snow, the realization clicking. "It all makes sense now."

"And it was this operation where I had one of the most fiercest dog fights ever in B7R. We had to fight both Sorcerer and Wizard at the same time, but once they were both down the real fight began."

"It was Gault, right?" asked Larry.

"Yeah, it was. Kupchenko himself and his squadron of Berkuts met PJ and I in the Round Table, and to tell you the truth, that fight still haunts me to this day."  
Cipher shuddered and had to take a moment to collect himself, since recalling the memories was proving to be a little difficult even for him solely because of what happened.

Everyone in attendance was silent and respectful of the veteran though, they waited patiently for him to continue because they knew just how important these memories were to Cipher, and to Larry too. These were their pasts they were hearing off, part of what made them into who they were today.

"It was us two against eight Su-47s, PJ in his F-16C and at the time I was flying the ADFX-01 we had confiscated. It was a long a grueling fight, I won't go into the details, but that fight itself...it was like I wasn't fighting human beings."

"Really…?" asked Nagase. "They were that heartless?"

"No, not in that sense. Why I felt like that is because their squadron was in perfect harmony...every single maneuver they executed was perfect. It was all because of their flight lead too, Kupchenko. I can honestly say that none of the ace Belkan squadrons I had faced before were as well-oiled and skilled as his...and I mean it."

"Wow…"

"But what stuck with me the most is what he said before the battle started…not once had I ever doubted my beliefs during the Belkan War, but when I met Kupchenko...that was the first time. And it began with those five words he uttered…'Let the victor be justice.' "

From there Cipher ended the story telling of the attack in B7R, and went on to the real meat of the discussion, the part that related with where they were going. The place where the Belkan War truly came to an end, the Avalon Dam.

 **\- Avalon Dam, Mund Valley, Central Belka -**

 **\- 029°55'38"N 234°26'03"E -**

 **\- December 31st, 1995 1500 hrs -**

The area of Mund Valley where Avalon Dam had become an utter hell, with the dam's defensive weaponry blanketing with skies with AA rounds and SAM missiles that continuously plagued the allied fighters above it. They were doing their duty though, every single pilot was putting their faith in Cipher and PJ, as well as the dam strike team, to penetrate the shield through the valley and put a stop to the AWWNB's plans for good.

Cipher himself was unable to come to grips with just how many pilots wouldn't be making it back home because of this operation. He knew, and he was sure they knew too, that sacrifices were going to be made to let the operation succeed. Because of that, as he, PJ, and the rest of the strike team made their way into the valley, he couldn't help but smile a little and thank everyone.

"Galm Team, keep low to the water on your approach to Avalon. You'll be shot down if you fly high." informed Eagle Eye from high above. "Get to the enemy fortress. Once you're there, increase altitude and fly over the dam for your next instructions."

"This is PJ. If I'm with you, I know I can do it Cipher. I'll follow your lead to the very end!" announced PJ, proud to be by his side.

"We'll escort you to Avalon, Galm Team, we promise you that!"

The Osean fighters that formed the rest of the strike team hugged the two mercenaries tightly, forming a barrier around them. Cipher took one good look at every single aircraft and nod his head.

"This is Galm One, we appreciate your assistance. To Avalon!"

They reached the valley proper and began their infiltration under the blanket of destruction occurring over head, the *bang bang bang of AA guns missile detonations incessantly going off in their ears over the radio. The chatter among the allied fighters was immense too, making it impossible to think clearly unless the radio was turned off entirely, but no one could do that.

They turned around a bend and approached the first of a collection of bridges built within the valley that spanned from one side or the other. For civilian uses it was for transportation, for the AWWNB, each bridge had been heavily fortified with as many AA guns and SAM emplacements possible without overcrowding the place.

"SAMs locked onto us! Fox two, fox two!"

With no time to waste, Cipher, PJ, and the Oseans fired off missiles at whatever they could get a lock on before blowing past the first bridge. Some of the weaponry was destroyed from their attack, but some of their jets suffered a little bit of damage along the way and they had to turn sharply around the next bend to shake off the missiles fired from behind.

PJ sucked in a breath and growled to get himself focused, his hands already shaking from the adrenaline. He was going to need a whole week of spa days to get rid of the stress he's accumulated just from today alone, with this operation and the fights against Sorcerer, Wizard, and Gault earlier.

"You've pass the first bridge, continue to the second strike team."

"Dammit, get a grip!"

"Calm down! Galm isn't the only team that can fight!"

The Oseans and Ustians in the sky continued to take the punches and roll with them, dueling rebel fighters at the same time as avoiding missiles and AA fire. They were incredibly brave men, Cipher though, he wouldn't want to be among any others.

"Our guys above are taking the heat, don't let them down!" spoke one of the escort fighters, boosting their morale. They had to make it to Avalon, success depended entirely on them.

Two Sapinsh Rafale Ms entered the valley in front of them on their radar and rounded the bend they were approaching rapidly, charging straight at them guns ablazing.

"They've got a lock on, evade, evade!"

Cipher twisted his aircraft around and fired two missiles, one connecting with its target and destroying one of the enemy jets, while the other avoided and shot down one of their escort fighters before they passed by one another at top speed. Their formation filled in the gap and they pressed onward to the second bridge.

Just like the first, it was protected very well and they had to go past it quickly to avoid losing any more members. Unfortunately, the defenders were ready for them this time and already had them on radar lock on as soon as they appeared. Gunfire hounded them and PJ nearly collided with one of the escort fighters when evading.

"Gah, my left wing's hit! Savage Four pulling out!"

"Savage Three, I'm done for!"

Two more escort fighters were taken out of the fight, and they ended up crashing into the river below when their jets were struck with more rounds. PJ didn't catch a single glimpse of a chute, and he clenched his jaw muscles when they left the second bridge behind them.

Resistance got even stiffer and more brutal the further they went in; allied fighters were dropping like flies over head, and any survivors that happened to get lucky and bailed out had to try and direct their parachutes as far away as they could to avoid being hit. The strike team itself had lost three members already, leaving Cipher and PJ with just three more fighter jets to assist them.

More enemy fighters came down from the furball to harass them again, this time coming from behind, and it didn't take them long to catch up and start attacking them. What made the dire situation even worse was the fact they were arriving at the third and final bridge, which meant they would be trapped from both sides by enemy forces.

With their options dwindling, the remaining three escort fighters made a decision amongst themselves to give them the best chance of victory.

"Galm Team, you're the only ones who can penetrate Avalon. End this war for us, for everyone!"

"Wait, don't!"

The three fighters then broke off from their flanks and sped as high as they could into hell above, the pursuing fighters taking the bait and following them. Cipher could only watch for a few brief moments as one Berkut immediately shot down an Osean jet before he returned his gaze to ground level. The third bridge passed by in the blink of an eye, and the valley widened out dramatically as Cipher and PJ arrived at their destination.

"Two planes made it through!"

"Who made it through, Galm?"

"IFF confirms it as Galm. Galm's broken through to Avalon!"

The surviving allied fighters cheered for their aces, the victory spurring them on to continue the fight until the bitter end.

"We're gonna stop this V2 no matter what. I never want to see that barren land again." said PJ, determined to finish everything.

The dam, spotting them, started firing on them from various gun towers built at various locations. It got even more complicated when the PA system of the missile launch facility echoed across the whole dam, announcing the countdown for V2 launch had begun. They had five minutes to end it before millions of innocents would die.

"You take care of the V2 Cipher, I'll handle things up here."

"Roger that, PJ. Take care of yourself, I want to fly home with my wingman today." Cipher said with a grin.

"Take out the launch control devices before barriers close up and cover their facilities. There are three launch control devices position at the base of the dam. Destroy them all!" ordered James, Cipher immediately diving down towards the closest open barrier shutter.

Time was really of the essence now, the fate of the world hung in the balance. Everything darkened around Cipher as he entered the bowels of the damn, the sound of his jet engines within the confines of the facility deafening through the cockpit glass. He wished he had equipped his Morgan with air-to-ground missiles to make it easier on himself, but they would've been useless in B7R earlier, so he just had to make do.

He found the first V2 launch control device and used two missiles to destroy half of the locks on it, flying past into another passageway and startling the operators for the launch inside of the dam with his presence. There were two more large box-like rooms like the one he was just in, and keeping track of time in his head and went to the second and third control devices, destroying half of the lock joints in each before having to exit the dam in order to get his bearings again for another attack run,

"All main oxygen valves are now open. V2 launch phase two is complete."

"Dam facility barriers are halfway closed, move it Galm Team!"

"We can't let them destroy the world Cipher! PJ bellowed as he destroyed an AA defense tower. Cipher growled and dove back into the dam, calling on all his experience and skill as a pilot to fly his way through the dam at speed and destroy the other lock devices in order to expose the control machinery itself.

It had gotten so dire that PJ abandoned his assault on the surface weaponry and entered the dam from the other side, attacking the lock joints in the first room and going for the middle room at the exact same time as Cipher was.

"Turbo fuel pump is running smoothly. V2 launch phase three is complete."

"Shit!" cursed PJ. "We have to hurry!"

The two pilots soared closer and closer to their meeting point until Cipher blew past him after destroying the lock joints of the second control device, enabling it to be fired upon once it revealed itself by PJ.

"PJ, as soon as you destroy the control device I exposed behind me, get out of here. I'll be right behind you!"

"Roger!"

Cipher made it to the first room and a pair of missiles took out the control device, flames and electric sparks shooting out upon its destruction. At the same time PJ destroyed the second control device and soared straight up, passing through a barrier just before it slid shut.

PJ glanced over his shoulder and saw that Cipher would have to fly through the entire dam facility to the other end if he want to escape, and he made sure to communicate that to his flight lead.

"Our facilities have been damaged!"

"I'm detaching a module section, continue the count down!"

Cipher pulled the brakes and performed as sharp high-G turn inside of the damn facility, his whole body shaking when he felt the belly of his Morgan actually scrape against the roof. Sparks flew out around him, but he recovered and sped back down the way he came at top speed.

His internal clock struck thirty seconds, he was running out of time.

"God dammit! Kill that Demon Lord!"

Cipher reached the final room, the last control device and revealed and out in the open. AA units had positioned themselves around it after travelling down into the dam, and he grunted when their guns began firing at him all at once. Left and right, up and down. Bullets struck his wings.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three…"

"Fox two!"

Cipher soared past the control device when it was consumed by fire, and he jerked the flight stick back as hard as he could to fly out of the dam just before the last barrier closed on him. The system was destroyed, and the launch was stopped permanently. They had won!

"We did it! We stopped the V2 launch!" cheered PJ at the top of his lungs.

The surviving allied fighter jets in the air let out a resounding cry of victory as Cipher soared higher into the sky. Cipher screamed out in triumph, his cry the loudest among all of them. He felt like he was actually flying, his jet non existent.

God it felt so good!

"We're confirming the situation. Cipher, PJ, fly away from the dam and standby."

"Roger that Eagle. We're going to make one last sweep over the dam though, I want to burn this image into my mind...just how close it was."

replied Cipher with a massive grin.

PJ formed back up with Cipher and did a barrel roll over his Morgan as he did, laughing some more out of sheer joy.

"Now that the war's finally over, I've got a girlfriend back at the base." PJ said, Cipher laughing.

"Really? That's great!"  
"I'm gonna propose to her when I get back. I even bought flowers!"

"Warning, unknown target approaching at high speed. Break! Break!"

Time seemed to slow down to almost a crawl in the blink of an eye. Cipher's head turned towards his immediate front, and his vision was filled with red when a bright beam came hurtling toward him faster then he could react. PJ saw the beam a split second before Cipher did, and within that gap, he made a decision.

With a loud grunt and a curse he pulled his flight stick to the side and flipped his plane to the side in a sharp turn. The laser cleaved right through PJ's small aircraft, splattering flaming oil and fire all over the cockpit of his Morgan, while the two halves of his wingman's jet fell away trailing smoke towards the damn below.

Cipher didn't even blink as the shock overtook his body, causing his hands to start shaking on the flight stick while the oil slipped off the canopy glass to give him a clear view of what was coming. The shock slowly turned to rage, his teeth grinding against one another. An unknown fighter jet had appeared; it looked exactly like his Morgan, with the only differences the large missiles mounted under its wings on the hardpoints and a bulky pod was mounted between its two engines.

What spoke volumes to him was the pasty white body and blood red wing it bore.

"So, have you found a reason to fight yet? Buddy?"

 **\- Present Day -**

"So...now you know the truth behind the war fifteen years ago...what really happened after the nukes dropped…" said Larry quietly.

"To think both of you fought to the death…damn, man..."

Snow was the only one able to speak, since Nagase and Grimm were still speechless after Cipher finished his story with the end of the dogfight between Larry and him and the destruction of the V2 missile over Avalon.

These two were so close now, but back then they were ready and willing to kill each other was mind boggling. The Belkan War was a terrible conflict, and after hearing this from the two pilots who were at the very center of it all, they had a real glimpse at to how bad it really was.

There was more to talk about for sure, but the pilots had to put it on hold when James informed them they had arrived at their destination. Soon enough, the clouds parted slightly and they saw for themselves Avalon Dam in all its glory. What caught them off guard though was that the water had all been drained from the reservoir, revealing the old facility and the airfield close by to it.

" _What the...why is the lake drained?_ "

All of a sudden air raid sirens began to sound off from the dam and unknown fighters started to scramble from the runway. As they took off Cipher squinted his eyes to make them out and when they got closer, he identified them as F-22A Raptors painted in the familiar dull grey color scheme that every single Belkan fighter they've seen thus far has had.

"What the...Raptors? What are Raptors doing in Belka?!" stammered Snow when the jets soared up to engage them.

"I'll free the pilot, while you guys hold off those fighters!" bellowed Cipher as he gunned it for the air base, the only obvious place where their target would be held.

He dove away from their squadron and Nagase took control, Larry forming up next to her while Crow One and his squad came up behind them as a second line for assistance. The Raptors didn't even bother paying attention to Cipher, and instead focused solely on them instead.

"You were better off not coming here…"

One of the pilots was heard over the radio when their channels crossed one another, and Larry narrowed his eyes suspiciously. They didn't sound Belkan, he'd heard enough of his own native country's people to know how a Belkan sounds and talks. Another discrepancy were the jets they flew, F-22A Raptors weren't even close to being Belkan fighters, and he knew for a fact that Belkan pilots rarely flew jets outside of the ones their own country produced.

"*The last time I remember seeing Belkans flying foreign jets was during the Belkan War…" Larry thought when the Raptors, four in total, bore down on them all at once.

They were either crazy or stupid to think taking on greater numbers then their own was the best idea, but once the dogfight began they quickly realized these unknown pilots were no joke. The Raptor pilots knew everything about their jets and could effectively combat them without worrying about the numbers disadvantage.

"Just who are these guys?! They don't fly like Belkans _or_ Yukes!" grunted Snow. "And what are they doing in the middle of Belka?"

Meanwhile Cipher managed to touch down on the runway without any bit of trouble and grinned as he hopped out of his jet, not a single soldier or person waiting to stop him outside. It seemed like the only personnel in the whole facility were the four jets his friends were combating, it was the perfect opportunity.

He broke for one of the buildings he was assuming where prisoners would be held and kicked down the door, an empty lighted hallway greeting him.

" _And behind door number one is…_ "

Cipher jogged down the hallway, his feet squeaking on the tiles. He turned right and rammed his shoulder into a door, pushing it open to the air base barracks and rows of unopened doors.

It was made easier when he heard a sound similar to a gasp and near the end of the hallway he heard some knocking on a door from inside one of the rooms.

Cipher went right up to it and unlocked the door, threw it open, and stood toe to to with the person he was looking for. A relatively tall man with somewhat pale skin, dark black hair that was shaved down to a military cut and a matching beard. The black flight suit he wore was a contrast to Cipher's standard Osean dull green one, and just looking into the man's eyes he knew that he felt they had met somewhere.

"Are you the Yuke pilot that the Grey Men captured?"

"I am, yes. It seems my message was able to be heard," the man paused, Cipher's voice triggering something, "Wait...that voice…"

"Hold on...Czar?"

"Blaze?"

The two pilots gasped when they recognized one another and stood perfectly still, paralyzed by the realization for a few moments before Czar suddenly threw his arms around him.

" _Slava bogu_! I'm not the only one who has realized this war's deception!" he laughed, Cipher grinning and patting him on the back.

"Listen, we can talk later. Right now, we need to leave this place, pronto."

Czar was quick to let go and he nod his head, Cipher leading the Yuke out of the base and back outside onto the tarmac where Cipher's jet was waiting. Czar then broke off from his side and sprinted for the hangars, Cipher at a loss for what he was doing until he grinned at the jet sitting behind one of the half open doors.

While Cipher powered up his jet to make a quick escape, her watched Czar roll out in a spare Belkan Su-47 and quickly roll up on his backside so the two could take off together.

"Captain, have you secured the target? These guys are difficult!"

"Target is secure! Everyone, commence retreat from the airspace immediately! Use the valley!"

He and Czar blasted over the dam and down into the valley leading away from it, Crow Squadron disengaging from the fight first while Nagase and Razgriz covered their escape. The Raptor pilots attempted to deny them their retreat, but they were unable to stop them and with their juiced Tomcats, they were able to run away without suffering any damage.

"They got away with the Yuke...we failed."

"This is no hindrance to our plans, Ater One. Continue your mission."

"Roger, Doctor."

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

We have succeeded in rescuing the Yuktobanian pilot captured by the Belkan Grey Men. Nicolai Reznov, callsign "Czar" will be returning to Kirwin Island. It would seem that some within Yuktobania are beginning to seek out the truth behind the war as well. Also, we are currently investigating why a squadron of Raptors were located within Nord Belka, and why the Avalon Dam's reservoir lake has been drained.


	28. Ghosts of Razgriz

A/N Leave a fav and review! We're in the last part of AC5 now everybody, get excited! We're close to finishing the first part of Wings of Freedom!

Also I apologize about the long break, this chapter has been done, but I have yet to even finish the next one because of school. It's gotten much more heavy and I've had to really focus, so bear with me!

* * *

 **Chapter 26 - Ghosts of Razgriz**

 _As the demon sleeps, man turns on man_

 _His own blood and madness soon cover the earth_

 _From the depths of despair awaken the Razgriz_

 _Its raven wings ablaze in majestic light_

* * *

 **\- OFS Kestrel, Kirwin Island -**

 **\- December 12th, 2010 1744 hrs -**

Despite their previous status as enemies, Czar was greeted well by the crew and operators of the Kestrel, and the pilot responded to it in kind. Handshakes, head nods and smiles were all around as the Yuke got acquainted with those he would be spending his time with.

Grimm found someone else to look up to since, like Cipher and Larry were, Czar was a veteran of his country's air force and a skilled pilot too. Cipher vouched for him, since Czar was Kvant Squadron's flight lead after all. Nagase gave him a firm handshake and a nod, but with a smile that meant she was ready and willing to be friends.

"Good to meet another skilled pilot from the other side. The name's Snow, by the way. Marcus Snow."

"It's good to meet you too, Mister Snow." Czar shook hands with Snow right as Andersen and Pops approached the pilots from the direction of the carrier's island.

Snow let go of Czar's hand right when the admiral stopped a few short footsteps away and Czar turned toward him, the two sharing a brief moment of silence and communicated solely with their eyes.

"What's your name, pilot?" questioned Andersen. "Name and rank, actually."

"Captain Nicolai Reznov, callsign 'Czar', sir."

Nicolai gave the aging admiral a military salute and Andersen's expression warmed up to a smile, Pops smiling too as they saluted one another. Cipher watched with a grin when the two men struck up a friendly conversation, which eventually did include him so he could clarify how they knew one another.

Even when he was Yuktobanian, and everyone knew that, Nicolai fit in well with the general staff and the rest of the pilots like a glove. Crow One and his squadron made sure to introduce themselves to the Yuke as well after they landed too. Their status as mercenaries officially enlisted in Ustio's military astounded Nicolai, since he actually had never heard of such a thing.

"I believe you are owed an explanation. Follow us, we'll bring you up to speed if you will." said Pops, putting a hand on Nicolai's shoulder.

"May I join this as well Pops?" asked Cipher. "To clarify anything, that is."

"Of course. Let's go to my office."

 **\- Avalon Dam, Mund Valley, Central Belka -**

 **\- December 14th, 2010, 0300 hs -**

Two full squadrons were in the pitch black skies over Avalon, participating in a mock dogfight scenario with one another for total superiority. One squadron flew all grey F-15S/MTDs, the other Su-35s, all grey as well.

"Grabacr Five, turn right at maximum speed in fifteen seconds."

The fighter in question did just that and perfectly dodged an attack run by one of the Su-35 pilots, enabling him to get on his six and flip the tables on him. The entire time a separate fighter jet, completely different then the ones performing the mock fight, watched from above with a keen eye for every little small detail and maneuver.

Like a hawk he pointed out every minor flaw in each pilot, and pointed it out loudly and clearly. He was molding and perfecting these fighter pilots into what they should be, what their birthright enabled them to become.

"Ofnir One, you're looking sloppy. Fix it."

"Yes Doctor…"

He watched them for thirty more minutes straight before he ended the dogfight with but a simple order. They were close to achieving greatness, so close.

 **\- OFS Kestrel, Kirwin Island -**

 **\- December 16th, 2010 1050 hrs -**

"To think one man like yourself would have almost three lifetimes worth of experience as a fighter pilot." said Nicolai with a head shake. "And each previous life became a legend, too."

Cipher chuckled before taking a sip of his coffee. He and the Yuke were standing side by side on the Kestrel's deck, watching and observing the world around them while sharing small talk.

"From Demon Lord, to Ribbon Fighter, and then back to demon. Or I guess I should say ghost now, since I'm supposed to be dead."

"Quite an eventful life."

Cipher nod his head and smiled, "Just imagine though if the world knew about me and my history. I wouldn't be able to catch a break."

The two pilots shared a laugh between them before Nicolai looked over his shoulder at the island's small air base. The Berkut he had flown from Avalon with the others was still there, with its tasteless grey paint job, waiting to be used again or scrapped in favor of another jet.

"You gonna fly with it?"

"Hm?" Nicolai turned back to Cipher, who was grinning as he motioned to the Berkut after following his gaze.

"I'm not sure...it's an odd feeling, really. It feels so much like a jet manufactured by my own country, but it's not at the same time. I still wish I have my Su-57..." replied Nicolai sadly.

"You had one of those Raptor look-alikes?" asked Cipher. "When?"

"When the rest of my squadron received them, of course. I lost it however when I was shot down."

Cipher understood now why Nicolai hadn't been present during the Jilachi campaign with the rest of his squadron, around that time must have been when he discovered the truth and had to flee. All this time he was imprisoned within Belka, without any contact with the outside world.

" _I can understand that…_ "

"You know, my friend...I imagine this is what peace time would feel like."

Cipher glanced at Nicolai, the Yuke pilot sipping on his coffee with a smile. It took a few moments but he realized what he meant and smiled too. Two people from different countries sharing a drink together under the morning sun, it truly was what peace could be like between Yuktobania and Osea.

That singular moment only served to strengthen their resolve to end the war as soon as possible, and return the state of their two countries to one of peace and friendship.

Unfortunately it had to come to an end when Nagase came jogging up to them from the island with important news. The Andromeda had received another anonymous message, just like the one which led them to Harling.

That was enough to catch Cipher's attention, and with a nod from Nicolai they gulped their coffee and hurried with Nagase to the briefing room. They were the last three to walk in and take their seats. Once sitting, James nod his head to Pops and he cleared his throat.

"We've intercepted another mysterious radio transmission. This time it specifies a location within Yuktobania. It's probably...well, this is just a hunch on my part, but I bet that's where the nuclear weapon sent into Yuktobania is located."

Pops pulled out the piece of paper that the Andromeda produced with the transmission information on it; a tiny little sliver with nothing but a few numbers on it that could mean practically anything, but not to Pops.

"It's a set of numbers, but this time it's a radio frequency."

He then turned to James, who stepped forward. "Your next missions is a reconnaissance flight above a canyon in the northern highlands of Yuktobania, the place described in the unidentified radio transmission. The highlands are completely covered by the Yuktobania air defense system, so the only place to fly is within the canyon itself."

James turned to the projector screen, where the area and the canyon itself were shown in relatively good detail, enough for all the pilots to see. Crow Squadron wasn't present, which meant it was just going to be the four of them on this operation, with Larry and Nicolai for the ride. It was the right call, Cipher thought. Too many fighter jets inside of the crowded canyon would be difficult for all parties involved.

"Fly down the canyon and reach the target area, then once you're there, set your radio channel to the directed frequency and begin gathering information." James turned back to them after highlighting their route into the canyon. "You may be engaged by local Yuktobanian forces, and depending on the contents of the transmission, you may also find yourself engaging in other combat as well. You are permitted to fight the enemy as necessary. Dismissed."

Cipher stood up from his chair and walked outside with everyone to get their jets ready to go for the mission. As they did, game plans were being bounced back and forth among the pilots.

"How about this. We'll split up into two flights, Grimm, you're with me, Nagase, you pair with Snow," he then motioned to Larry and Nicolai, "And you two fly top cover above the range of the AA system to provide back-up if necessary."  
"Sounds like a solid plan, captain." replied Grimm.

"Leave it to you to come up with all of the plans, Cipher."

Larry grinned as he threw his arm around Cipher and jostled him around a tiny bit playfully, the two friends laughing. Just another day at the office.

 **\- Payavlenie Ravine, Northeastern Yuktobania -**

 **\- 29°09'16"N, 095°08'45"E -**

 **\- December 16th, 2010 1503 hrs -**

"AWACS Eagle Eye to Razgriz, proceed into the canyon and set your radio frequency to 124 megahertz." spoke James when they entered the target area.

Larry and Nicolai bid the four Razgriz pilots one final goodbye before they rose up high into the sky to join James beyond the clouds. Cipher took the lead as usual and as soon as they passed the ravine edges, their left and right now pinks and reds and other desert colors, Cipher switched his radio to the correct frequency.

There was nothing but static at first, but slowly the sound of something that resembled a voice became clearer and clearer until a loud gasp came through completely clear.

"It's true! They've come, fighter jets! I can tell because I'm intercepting enemy alert signals as well, but can you hear this?"

"Who are you? Identify yourself." replied Nagase, eyes narrowed.

"A great number of students, intellectuals, and even some soldiers are staging a resistance against the military government of Yuktobania. You can call me Alyosha...that's not my real name, of course. I'm so glad you actually came; it's just like how he said you would!"

"He…?"

Nagase was confused by this other person Alyosha, or whoever it could be that was using the cover name, referred to. Cipher held his suspicions to himself and as they flew slowly deeper into the ravine network, he joined up with Grimm and Nagase with Snow for when they had to split up.

It was a good thing that was their strategy too, since Eagle Eye updated their radars with dozens of enemy units scattered throughout Payavlenie. They might have to split up fully if they wanted to make sure everything was covered.

"We have no time. Let me explain the situation." informed Alyosha seriously. "We've managed to steal a nuclear warhead taken here and have hidden ourselves here so we can disable it for good. There are multiple enemy units spread throughout the canyon and we have Yuke commandos searching everywhere for us. Please protect us as we disable the bomb."

It was like they'd all been punched in the gut. Already they had discovered one of the nuclear devices from Belka, and there were those out there that were unhappy with the state of affairs too.

Their job just got a whole lot easier, and it brought a smile to Cipher's face.

"Roger Alyosha, we'll provide cover." responded Snow. "Just make sure that warhead gets defused!"

"A physics graduate student from Yuktobania Central University is currently dismantling it as we speak." responded Alyosha. From where he was, he was holding the microphone up to his lips while squatting down, the warhead in question behind him illuminated by several lamps so the student working on it could see everything.

Near the ravine's mouth the two groups split off at a fork in the river, the source of the ravine itself after uncounted years of erosion, to take on each side and eliminate enemy forces. Since they couldn't rise above the ravine, their airspeed was kept relatively low and their heads were on a constant swivel.

The enemies they had to face were nothing special either. Helicopters were the main priority, as well as a few gunboats here and there patrolling the river below for any sign of the resistance. Cipher was sure to remind everyone to be prepared for anything though, enemy jets could come out of nowhere from outside the ravine network.

"We're now dismantling the bomb itself." reported Alyosha, being the go between for the pilots and the student. "It's a pretty tiny bomb, maybe a tactical nuke. Hard to believe something like this can wipe out an entire city…"

" _You'd be surprised…_ " Cipher thought to himself. He was sure that Larry, if he were chiming in to their communications, would have thought the same thing or even spoke it out loud.

They continued with the operation relatively smoothly, with the pilots undergoing a few miniature heart attacks because of random, out of the blue moments of terror. Like when the student almost dropped the tool he was working on, or when something inside the bomb did something when it wasn't supposed to.

Despite those brief episodes, Cipher, Snow, Grimm, and Nagase were easily capable of clearing the entire ravine of enemies, even when a couple of jets here and then were called in to try and assist the commandos in their search for the resistance.

Just then James patched himself into them with a mission update, one Cipher saw before hand when he spotted a new group of enemies fast approaching the ravine.

"Eagle Eye to Razgriz. New enemy planes showing up on radar, it's a four man flight. Stay heads up, they don't seem to be your normal Yuke fighters."

The new enemy squadron rapidly arrived at the ravine and dove down into its depths, the lead Su-35 brushing past the surface of the river before returning to his squadron. Cipher wasn't expecting to hear the voices of their newcomers, but when their radio waves crossed over one another he could hear them loud and clear.

"This is Ofnir Two. You sure it's them?" asked the second Su-35 pilot.

"This is Ofnir One, I said that's what I heard. The ghosts of the 'Demons of Razgriz'."

He gave the order to his followers to split up through the ravines to hunt for the Razgriz, completely intending to shoot them down, no questions asked.

Snow narrowed his eyes when he listened to the men talk and soon enough the others had the same thought in their mind. Compared to all of the Yukes they've heard, especially Nicolai, these guys definitely did _not_ sound Yuktobanian.

Right then Cipher and Grimm turned a corner and came face to face with two of the unknown fighters, and right then Cipher's suspicions were proved correct. All grey Su-35s, the exact same fighter jets he saw parked next to Grabacr's jets in Belka.

"Grimm, evade! These are the aggressors dispatched to Yuktobania by Belka!"

He turned sharply to the right with Grimm, avoiding a pair of missiles fired at them by the enemy. They were able to lose them within the ravine by taking a narrow shortcut, but by then Nagase and Snow had their own run-in and barely avoided being taken out as well.

"Dammit, of all the places...I feel like they're hunting us like animals." Grimm growled.

"What are you talking about Grimm?" questioned Cipher, an evil grin spreading across his lips. "We've faced plenty of Belkan fighter pilots up till now, and last time I checked...we're the demons here, not them."

On their own end the Ofnir pilots were being contacted by retreating commandos or other forces after the Razgriz attack, and all of them were trying to deter the Ofnirs from continuing.

"Ofnir Squadron, flying through the ravine is extremely dangerous."

"Ofnir One to all planes, no obstacles to our flight observed."

"Hey, didn't you hear me? Turn back!"

Ofnir One snarled back at the Yuke, "Shut it. This is our business."

His arrogance proved to be his squadron's downfall, however, since Cipher was able to quickly round up his squadron and attack the Ofnir pilots one by one, overwhelming each Belkan with sheer muscle and numbers.

"Look! The enemy is running down Ofnir!"

"There's only one squadron I know that could shoot down Ofnir…"

A dark cloud of fear settled over the surviving Yuke forces when they realized exactly who they were dealing with; a nightmare they thought had all but disappeared.

"I was thinking the same thing...Razgriz…"

"...You're the Demons of Razgriz?"

Ofnir One, realizing his error, was skeptical even to the end as he was pursued by Cipher and his friends. They didn't respond to his question and as Cipher locked on to Ofnir One and fired a single missile, he growled when the set up left him completely unable to dodge.

"Dammit...they really are the Razgriz…"

Boom went his jet aircraft when it was struck by Cipher's missile, ending the engagement once and for all. Other enemy forces had already evacuated the area as well, the threat they posed enough to halt all search operations for the resistance members Razgriz was protecting.

"All Ofnir fighters shot down." reported Nagase for James. "Looks like the other enemy forces bugged out on us too."

More good news came in from Alyosha and his resistance friends from their hideout in the center of the ravine, a discrete concrete structure and facility complex that they only just now happened upon.

"Okay, we've dismantled the bomb. Did you fend off the enemy forces for us?"

"For now, but at the moment, skies are clear."

"Alright. We're going into the ocean to discard the bomb, piece by piece. Nobody will ever be able to use it as a weapon, so if you can, please protect us until we make it there."

"We will, but what about…"

Alyosha chuckled and they glanced down at the hideout to a concrete dock hangar situated at the water and they were floored when a submarine churned slowly into the lake waters. Their Yuke resistance friend seemed to have been a little general in his description of the strength of their group. A submarine in the hand of students and intellectuals was preposterous.

"There's nothing we can't get our hands on. I told you, we have a lot of allies."

"All right! But who told you that we'd definitely be coming for you?" questioned Snow, asking the question that Cipher, Grimm, and Nagase were wondering themselves.

"I don't know his name...but he left a message with us here for your captain; I'll read it." Alyosha fumbled with a piece of paper on his end. "It says, 'Hey Kid, I hear you're a helluva squad captain now!' Do you get it?"

Cipher's lips widened into a huge grin, as did Grimm's and Snow's while Nagase was so overcome with feelings of joy and relief that she practically hopped in her flight seat from it.

"Yes! Perfectly!"

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

Mission accomplished. The information we obtained as well as the physical damage we caused dealt a significant blow to the enemy. Judging by our analysis of the information, there appears to be a highly organized resistance force acting against the Yuktobanian military regime. It is likely the nuclear weapon which Yuktobania acquired was safely dismantled by the resistance. Furthermore, we have identified the Yuke aggressor squadron to be Ofnir Squadron, led by the Belkan ace Michael Heimeroth. They are considered to be highly dangerous and will be treated as such. Shoot them down if spotted as quickly as possible.

 **\- OFS Kestrel, Kirwin Island -**

 **\- December 16th, 2020 2230 hrs -**

Cipher was alone in his given room on the Kestrel late at night, lounging on the bed on his stomach with a laptop resting in front of him. Seeing Grabacr and Ofnir had spurred an old memory in him of seeing something similar back in 1995, and he wanted to know more about it.

He pulled up Google and frowned a tiny bit, wondering where to start. Cipher decided to just browse general history of the Belkan War and look for anything he could use to narrow down his search. He was sure that vast swaths, or probably all, of the information pertaining to the Belkan War was declassified and allowed to be viewed by the public, so it had to be somewhere.

"Ah, here it is...operations held during the Belkan War…" he murmured. He delved deeper into the history, searching specifically for the Belkans involved since he knew that would be where his answers would be hiding.

Cipher went through document after document until he came to one that brought a grin to his face. Battle Axe, the operation where he got his nickname from.

" _Ah, memories...I still find it surprising that Pops was there too, and that I shot him down_!" Cipher laughed to himself. " _And Bartlett too. But anyways…_ "

He entered the document and started scanning the words and passages for anything he could find, something that rang a bell. Unlike everything before, he actually found it. Now he remembered why the names seemed so familiar, they were there.

"Grabacr and Ofnir...before the squadrons, it was their callsign. Ashley and Michael, they were there in B7R that day."

Cipher stroked his chin, satisfied he was able to answer that question. But another question concerning recent events popped into his head; the Raptors over Avalon, how the hell did they end up there?

The simplest way he could think of to figure that out was to consults the OADF's records and go through it pilot by pilot, and look for any discrepancies.

"Okay, here we go...no, no, not that one...nope…"

Cipher went down the list, page after page, seeing names he didn't care about. He stopped and smirked a little at two names he knew rather well, Joshua Bristow and Anthony Palmer.

Osean pilots from the Belkan War that defected to the AWWNB; Cipher fought both of them over B7R when he was on his way to Avalon with PJ to stop the V2 launch. Both were skilled squad leaders and aces on their own, but he was victorious in the end.

" _I know what happened to Bristow, he got axed, but I wonder...whatever happened to Palmer after that interview documentary?_ " Cipher thought to himself.

He decided to not dwell on it too long and continued looking, skipping through several more pages of faces and names he hardly recognized until he stopped again. There were eight pilots in a row that all had the same designation next to their names.

"MIA, MIA...all eight of them. When did they enlist…" Cipher clicked on the flight lead for more information, but didn't find anything super meaningful when he started reading.

The lead pilot enlisted in the OADF in the early 2000s, and after that it was just the usual military spiel about what happened to the pilot to have them be listed as missing in action. When he went to the other pilots of the squadron, it was the same thing. That was the strange part. Word for word, sentence for sentence, the reason why they were MIA was literally the exact same thing.

Suddenly someone knocked on his door and Cipher jumped, his thoughts momentarily jumbled by the surprise. He grumbled a tiny bit and went to the door to open it, but found Larry standing outside with a frown.

"Larry? What're you doing here? I thought you'd be asleep by now."

"I don't know...couldn't sleep, I guess." Larry shoved his hands into his pockets. "Just been getting this odd feeling ever since Avalon."

"Come look at this then, I was thinking the same thing."

Larry was pulled inside by Cipher, who then grabbed his laptop by the base and went back to him, holding it up so they could both look at the screen.

"Look at this."

"Uh, what is this?"

"Pilot records for the OADF. But look, here, eight pilots. All of them enlisted around the same time, in the early 2000s."

Larry was confused. He asked, "Yeah? What's important about them?"

Cipher showed him each person's description, why they were missing in action as well as the exact similarities between each one. From that Larry was finally invested in what Cipher was trying to get across and the pair sat down next to one another on Cipher's bed, staring at the screen.

"You know where I'm going with this, right?"

"The fighters over Avalon, right? The Raptors?"

Cipher nod his head. "Exactly."

"Do you think the Grey Men have reactivated Avalon for something, and...that they might have more operatives within the OADF then we previously thought?"

"Who knows...anything is on the table right now."

Their discussion ended there and Larry left with that, Cipher closing the door and returning to his desk to look for a few more minutes before he closed it up and set it down. He needed to rest, that was enough theorycrafting for now.

As he laid his head on the pillows though, the same question he'd been thinking ever since the Grey Men's existence was discovered came back to haunt him. Could they be the successors of the AWWNB?


	29. White Bird (Part 2)

A/N School year is winding down, only got a couple weeks left, so guess what that means! Story chapters will be able to start coming out fairly regularly now!  
Leave a fav and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 27 - White Bird (Part 2)**

 _As the demon sleeps, man turns on man_

 _His own blood and madness soon cover the earth_

 _From the depths of despair awaken the Razgriz_

 _Its raven wings ablaze in majestic light_

* * *

"Production is proceeding smoothly, don't you worry. I have the organizations best interests in mind, trust me."

" _We of the board are unsure of that doctor. It goes without saying that you and your men have brought this age old organization leaps and bounds forward towards our goal, but we still believe that you are hiding something from us._ "

"Trust me, everything is fine. Good day."

 **\- OFS Kestrel, Kirwin Island -**

 **\- December 19th, 2010 1200 hrs -**

"The intelligence vessel Andromeda has picked up another encrypted transmission in Belkan. They changed the code on us, so it took a little longer to decipher the message. The content is as follows: 'N attack by A-Sat on Okchabursk to commence at 1400 hours'."

Nagase's heart skipped a beat when Pops read the translated message to them within the briefing room. Cipher made a slow head turn to look at her when the realization hit all of them with different effects, and he knew she was going to take it the worst. "N attack" easily could be inferred as nuke or nuclear attack, and the "A-Sat" part of the message could only mean one thing.

"I have this to say to you first, so that all of you can hear it for yourselves." said Pops before he pulled out a crisp piece of paper from behind his back.

He held it up and cleared his throat, before he started at the top and worked his way down.

"TOP SECRET. Today, information has been obtained that the nation of Belka has armed the high-atmosphere spacecraft, Arkbird, with a nuclear device(s), with the intent of carrying out a nuclear attack on the city of Okchaburks within the Union of Yuktobanian Republics. Additionally, intelligence has confirmed that the Arkbird will descend briefly once mid-flight to align with the target via atmospheric friction. Analysis of the scheduled launch timing and target coordinates has allowed us to determine the approximate location of this descent. All proximity fighter units are hereby ordered to immediately sortie and rendezvous at the specified Arkbird point of descent. Destroy the Arkbird before it re-ascends into the upper atmosphere at 1324 hours, and prevent an attack on the target city. An Osean Federation and Union of Yuktobanian Republics air force intercept is expected. You are cleared to engage and destroyed. There is only one chance to destroy the Arkbird. Godspeed."

Pops lowered the paper to his side and gazed at the baffled faces of the pilots, his heart heavy just as he knew their's were as well.

"Signed Osean Federation President, Vincent Harling."

Cipher was at a complete loss for words. The Grey Men, operating through Osea, had repaired the previously sabotaged Arkbird and were going to use it to deliver a nuclear weapon to Yuktobania. They were going to prolong the war even more. That alone was enough to paralyze them, but what really drove the stake into their hearts was that it was the _Arkbird_.

That beautiful bird was Harling's child of peace, a way of striving for world peace made by the Osean president for all. It was where the G7 summit was held in 2008, it was the satellite that contributed so much to removing Ulysses fragments from Earth's atmosphere. It had been created for the sole purpose of benefiting humanity, and to be a symbol of international cooperation and good will.

And now it was going to be used to deliver a weapon capable of devastating an entire city and kill numerous innocent people.

"With that out of the way, to the specifics of the briefing. Apparently, it would seem efforts to secretly repair the sabotaged Arkbird are now complete. We confirmed this by observing its orbit from the ground. We believe that a Belkan nuke has already been loaded onto the now repaired Arkbird."

Their worst fears had been realized yet again. Not only had the Grey Men pulled one nuke out to be used in Yuktobania, but a second one too for the exact same purpose. It was bad enough that they had brought one out, and every person there was thankful the resistance had gotten a hold of it and diffused it.

But it rang a different bell when it came to the Arkbird. Even the most peaceful of creations could be twisted into one of impending doom and destruction.

"In order for the Arkbird to attack Okchabursk, a city in Yuktobania, at 1400 hours, it must make one major correction to its orbital trajectory, as stated."  
Pops pointed to the projector as it shifted to the Ceres Ocean, zooming in specifically on a section close by to a small collection of unknown islands. Cipher narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. So that was to be the area of interception, he figured.

"To do this, it must first drop into the upper atmosphere and use air friction to lower its speed. We have already calculated the time and location in which this maneuver will occur. Your mission is to destroy the Arkbird. This is your only chance. Dismissed."

The pilots nod their head solemnly and left the briefing room, Pops letting go of the breath he held in his lungs as she sighed. He had seen the pain in their eyes when he told them of the Arkbird's defection to the enemy; they were all going to hate having to shoot down such a magnificent creation, especially one for peace.

Pops looked down at the paper that Harling had signed once again and closed his eyes, wishing that it wouldn't have to come to this. But there was no other way. As soon as he presented their findings to the president, Harling paid no heed to second doubts. The decision to destroy the Arkbird had been made almost instantly.

So now, it had been put into motion. Operation: Game Bird was a go.

 **\- Ceres Ocean -**

 **\- 21°18'36"N 158°16'33"E -**

 **\- December 19th, 2010 1309 hrs -**

The flight to the marked area was a silent one for the Razgriz pilots and their AWACS. Larry, Nicolai and the Crow Squadron weren't there to help cheer them up either, it was just them five. James had kept a steady eye on his radar for when the Ark would make its appearance, and as soon as they entered the area the white bird made itself known.

"Arkbird spotted on Radar. Razgriz, begin your ascent and engage." ordered James. Cipher pitched his aircraft upwards and began to climb at a steady pace with his wingmen, their sights set on the Arkbird, the satellite craft visible in the distance high up in the sky.

Limits were going to be pushed with how high they had to take their aircraft, but they had to do so in order to prevent the deaths of millions.

"We were so close...it's like they're always one step ahead…" murmured Grimm. "No...no I can't think that. We can't afford to."

"Yeah, thoughts like that gotta be pushed out of your head, Grimm." advised Snow wisely, Cipher nodding in agreement.

Higher they climbed, passing by ten thousand feet in the blink of an eye, and still they went higher. The Arkbird, according to James' information, was close to their jet's service ceiling of fifty thousand feet, which would only make it even more difficult for them.  
"Damn, it's gonna be tough reaching that altitude...you okay, Nagase?" asked Cipher, glancing at her to his right.

Silence was what he got before a heavy sigh came. "Yeah, I'm fine...wait, the Arkbird!"

All eyes looked straight at their great big white target high in the sky and just barely they were able to see a plume of white smoke emerge from its underbelly. The Arkbird had jettisoned something, and as they neared it that object soared past them at lightning quick speeds. It was an escape pod, but they didn't have time to worry about who could be inside and why it was launched in the first place.

"Adler to Schenze. He got away."

"It's the enemy!" whispered Grimm as they listened in, Cipher guessing whoever Adler was that he was stationed in the Arkbird, and Schenze was a Grey Men correspondent.

"The Osean astronaut?"

"Yeah. It's alright, we don't need him anymore...oh, dammit! He must've done something to the control system before he got away! Turn off that switch!"

Unsure of what the Belkans could have been talking about, the four pilots were thrown for a loop when the Arkbird began to rapidly descend far beyond what it was supposed to for its maneuver, getting slower and slower as more hair rushed along it's sleek body.

"Dammit, we're slowing down! We're diving deep into the atmosphere." cursed Adler when the controls were finally fixed, the Arkbird managing to level out at around twenty thousand feet.

It was such a dramatic loss of altitude that they were hoping it wouldn't interfere with their mission.

"Captain, this is Archer. Doesn't the Arkbird's approach path seem to deep?"

"Yeah, it does. And if what they said is any indication, whoever launched away in that pod made it a hell of a lot easier for us. Gun it!"

On his orders Cipher and his wingmen made sure to ruin that idea when they gunned it to reach the even more vulnerable Arkbird. As soon as they reached its backside, Cipher took the first shot by firing a pair of missiles that flew straight and true, striking the Arkbird's reinforced hull and rocking the entire spacecraft. While only leaving a few scratches and slight dents, the attack alone was enough to startle the entire crew.

"Adler to Schenze, we're under attack!

"What? The Osean army's supposed to be wrapped around our finger. Who the hell?"

Adler and the crew of the Arkbird looked to the external cameras on board to see who, or what, could've cause that attack, and as soon as they saw the four black and red fighters right on their tail they knew exactly who it was.

"Black bodies, that emblem, it's them! The 'Ghosts of Razgriz'!" in a frantic tone.

"Launch the VOGELs. Get rid of them!" he ordered to his lackey, Adler quickly putting the order into motion.

As Cipher was preparing to attack the Arkbird again, Grimm noticed hatches on the belly of the Arkbird slid open and launchers extend out with some kind of strange UAV with a triangular shape locked in. With two distinct pops, followed by the steam cloud, several UAVs were launched back to back from the belly of the white bird and into the sky below them.

They then sped up incredibly fast and turned to go right at the four pilots, Cipher cursing as the six UAVs forced them to leave the Arkbird alone in order to engage them.

"UAVs launching from the Arkbird! Take them down quickly!" ordered James once he became aware of the new enemies.

"Those launch ports weren't in the original design!" said Nagase as she avoided a burst of gunfire from the agile UAVs.

"Seems Belka made some modifications to it." said Snow with a growl. "Damn bastards, they'll pay for that!"

Cipher quickly analyzed the UAVs as they attacked his squadron and himself, and quickly he determined that because of their small and agile design he made the guess they couldn't carry any missiles whatsoever and only had their guns for attack. He grinned, this was going to be easy.

"They only have guns! Outrun and maneuver to engage them!" Cipher pulled hard to the right and got behind a pair of UAVs tailing Grimm, shooting one down with his gun while a missile brought down the other.

Nagase quickly followed suite with a kill of her own, while the Arkbird itself began to angle itself upwards towards the sky.

"Schenze to Adler. Do whatever it takes to gain altitude!"

"Roger! Countdown to booster ignition!"

Nagase looked back quickly at the Arkbird and saw a faint blue glow begin to come from the rear of the massive spacecraft, and judging by the angle it sat at through the air she knew exactly what it was going to do.

"The Arkbird's going to attempt to climb higher into the atmosphere!"

"What? How do you know?" questioned Grimm.

"I know all about the Arkbird. I was in love with it...so much that I used to stare at the blueprints all the time. That big engine in the middle is a booster designed to give it enough speed to escape the atmosphere. If we destroy that, it'll never make it into space again."

"Roger that." replied Snow, his hand tightening a little on the flight stick.

"We're gonna destroy the Arkbird...are we sure about this?" Grimm looked from one person to the other around them, hoping to catch their gaze from his cockpit.

"We have to do it, Grimm." stated Cipher with a heavy heart. "There's no way around this."

Right then a countdown was made by Adler to the crew of the Arkbird before the huge booster engine was started, a wide blue flame coming from the back of the Arkbird as the aircraft lurched upward slightly, it's speed picking up drastically.

"Destroy that booster!"

The Razgriz began to attack the Arkbird en masse once Grimm destroyed the final UAV, their missiles striking the body of the Arkbird and inflicting steadily growing damage to the spacecraft. Soon enough smoke began to emerge from the booster engine as its electrical system began to fail, and with a final strike from Nagase a devastating explosion rocked the Arkbird as bits and pieces flew away from it.

Cipher and Snow quickly maneuvered to avoid any of the debris and shrapnel from striking their planes, while the Arkbird had to level itself out with the loss of its primary booster engine. With its destruction, there really was no way for it to escape the wrath of the Razgriz demons on its tail. Because of that fact, Schenze made a decision for Adler.

"Activate all weapons, and launch a second wave of UAVs. If you can't escape from the Razgriz, shoot them down instead!"

Adler relayed the orders and Cipher was thrown for a loop when the rear mounted A-Sat laser the Arkbird was fitted with for the war glowed bright and opened fire on them, narrowly missing Nagase when she veered away. Anti-air missile pods began opening fire on them as well, and with a second volley of drones that launched from the Arkbird's belly, their job just got a whole lot harder.

"I heard Ofnir was destroyed by those guys…" spoke one of the Belkans aboard the Arkbird.

"Don't worry, the Arkbird is invincible."

"Fox three, fox three!" bellowed Grimm as he fired four of his special missiles into the A-Sat laser module, damaging it considerably.

As he flew away from the Arkbird a second rapid-firing pulse laser atop its dorsal section opened fire on him, one shot grazing his left wing with a loud sizzle.

"Second laser module spotted! It's there, atop the dorsal section!"

"Roger, Grimm!"

Snow hopped right on it, flipping over the few first laser bolts before he poured bullets and a pair of missiles into the pulse laser, effectively destroying it and leaving a unsightly scorched blemish on the white body of the Arkbird. At the same time Cipher gunned it to outrun the Arkbird laser as he shot down a pair of UAVs and turned sharply inward towards the craft itself, destroying the launchers so that they couldn't make any more allies for themselves.

Pitch black smoke was now coming from the once majestic spacecraft as the Razgriz hammered at it, eventually destroying two more of its five engines, causing it to lose even more altitude after trying to use them to gain some distance away from the four pilots.

"Dammit! We're falling again!" cursed Adler.

"Adler, you are aware of the backup plan, right?" questioned Schenze from over the radio, a moment of silence persisting between the two Belkans.

"I know...we'll detonate the nuke over Okchabursk ourselves."

"Your sacrifice will never be forgotten." replied Schenze with a honorable tone in his voice before ceasing all communication.

Adler quickly ordered the activation of the last two engines they had left, the two large combined cycle engines, in order to enact their final plan.

"It's still going! What do we do Captain?"

"Aim for those engines to stop it permanently! Then all it can do is glide its way to the water!"

Before they could act on his words however, James noticed several new radar signatures ping his map and he was quick to report the update to the others. Cipher looked to his radar after the update to see four fast moving enemies approaching the airspace and looked that way, his eyes narrowing when they became visible.

Four F-22A Raptors, the same they saw over Avalon. He bet they were the exact same pilots too, and he readied his squadron for them.

"Adler, this is Alpha. We're approaching from your twelve. We'll escort you to your target."

"Not on my watch!"

Cipher led the charge against the unknown fighters, Snow right beside him with Grimm to take them head on while Nagase was left alone to take down the Arkbird by herself. The decision for her to be the one to take it down was made silently and practically unanimously, it was only right that Nagase, who loved the Arkbird so much, had to be the one to take down the white bird.

She felt morally obligated to be that person because she didn't want the Arkbird legacy to be tarnished with the destruction of an entire city. And so with traces of tears in her eyes she pressed her attack on the Arkbird, dodging its weaponry as she destroyed its A-Sat laser with several missile strikes and moved on to the AAMs.

"Your mission was distorted by human treachery. Your days in the air are over!" proclaimed Nagase after destroying the AAMs, her sights moving to the engines.

Snow caught a glimpse of the white bird as he avoided a missile from one of the Raptors and he felt his heart tighten up from the black smoke coming from the Arkbird. It used to be so beautiful, and now it's white skin was turning black, the same as the souls of those who corrupted it.

By then, even when they had basically only just gotten there, the flight lead for the squadron of Raptors realized that the Arkbird had no chance of making it to Yuktobania and quickly bugged out without so much as a calling card left behind. Rather then pursue them, Cipher let them be and he, Grimm and Snow resorted to watching Nagase.

"Combined cycle engines destroyed!" she announced victoriously when two explosions rocked the Arkbird, sealing its fate.

All of its engines were destroyed, and without them, the giant aircraft was nothing more then an oversized glider. Even Adler realized there was no hope for them now.

"Carrying out the backup plan may be impossible under these conditions...altitude dropping, controls malfunctioning…"

The Arkbird descended towards the Ceres Ocean below, the sparkling waves almost calling out to the white bird, to take it within its watery hold so that it could rest. They formed up on Nagase to watch the Arkbird from above, and as another smaller explosion emerged from its hull, Snow shook his head disdainfully.

"What a pitiful sight."

"Yes...and humans are responsible for it." replied Grimm sadly.

The Arkbird lost control of itself and began to twist around in the air, its nose coming up to face the sky as fire and smoke consumed its body. With his final breath, Adler cursed the Razgriz before the white bird crashed into the waves in a massive plume of water, sinking below just below the surface before a mushroom cloud of water sprung upward by the Arkbird detonating with a muffled blast.

It was over. The symbol of peace, fallen from grace...had finally died.

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

We succeeded in halting the Arkbird nuclear attack on the city of Okchabursk in Yuktobania. The Arkbird crashed into the middle of the Ceres Ocean after attempting to detonate the nuke within itself over the city, after the plane to drop it failed. Miraculously, there were no ships near the area of the crash site. According to our investigation team, there is currently no evidence of radiation fallout in the area.


	30. Nightmare

A/N I'm so so sorry everyone, I know it's been a while since the last chapter and I can explain. Kind of got a case of writer's block, and plus I had other stuff going on in life so I decided to take a break from writing to do those things.  
But, no worries! I'm finally back now, for realsies, so I'm gonna strive to finish out Ace Combat 5 and push on to Ace Combat 6!  
Leave a favorite and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 28 - Nightmare**

 _As the demon sleeps, man turns on man_

 _His own blood and madness soon cover the earth_

 _From the depths of despair awaken the Razgriz_

 _Its raven wings ablaze in majestic light_

* * *

 **\- OFS Kestrel, Kirwin Island -**

 **\- December 22nd, 2010 1345 hrs -**

Cipher stood in the doorway of the Kestrel's bridge, watching the president repeatedly try to convince those within his very own country he was their acting president. Harling only got more frustrated with each attempt, the truth he wanted to deliver to his citizens and soldiers only falling on deaf ears.

The central government, now run by the vice president and his generals, censored all of it, calling it "enemy propaganda". And to make things worse, Yuktobania wasn't about to stop fighting either. Both sides of the war were so engrossed in the trenches so to speak, that they refused to look above to the truth before them, about the insidious machinations playing out behind the scenes.

Harling sighed after the final attempt and put down the phone he was holding, tapping his foot a few times. Andersen, Cipher, and a few other crew members looked at him for a response.

"There's no way anyone will believe me like this. There's only one thing I can do now."

He glanced at Andersen, adjusting his tie a little. The aging captain knew exactly what the president wanted to do, and he made a call for the marines to get their gear ready for departure as soon as possible.

The President needed to enter the capital himself with his marine force. It meant risking his life too, he could be captured again, or worse, killed. But Harling wouldn't have any of it, not from anyone. This war had to be brought to an end quickly, or both nations could end up destroying one another.

As he boarded Sea Goblin's helicopter, he turned his head and waved at everyone who had taken care of him thus far with a smile. "Here goes." he said.

Cipher gave an informal two-fingered salute to the president, as did Larry with a grin, while Nagase, Grimm, Snow, and the rest of the Oseans present on the deck locked their bodies in place and gave their president the full deal. Gennette gave the helicopter a farewell wave as it took off from the deck, and Pops watched it grow smaller and smaller until it vanished from view.

Crow Squadron had taken off before them, to secure a clear transit route back to Ustio and to ward off any unsuspecting enemies that could be lurking within the Osean military. From Ustio, the president would then be flown directly to Oured.

"What do we do now?" asked Grimm, looking at their two veterans.

Larry put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, thinking for a few moments before laughing. "You seriously don't know, kid?"

"Harling's going to end this war for us on the home front," said Cipher, looking towards the sky. "It's up to us to end it here, on the battlefield. Before it's too late."

"That's right."

Pops walked in front of the group of pilots with his arms crossed over his chest and smiled at them all, nodding his head out of approval. "The president's put all of his faith into you five. We can't let him down."

"Got that right." Snow agreed.

Since it was only an hour or so past noon, they went below deck to one of several crew ready rooms built into the ship to relax until something else pressing was to pop up. There they waited, doing various things to keep themselves occupied as they waited. Hours passed and Cipher ended up dozing with Nagase next to him, her book in her lap, while Snow and Grimm were playing ping pong with one another.

At that point a crew member from the bridge had come down to them and told them the Andromeda had received a final encrypted message from Yuktobania. There were no coordinates. All it showed was a specific time and radio frequency.

Midnight was the time, and so the five pilots, Andersen, Gennette and Pops all gathered in the bridge a couple minutes before the time the message specified.

"I was having a good nap guys, why'd it have to be so late…" Larry muttered, rubbing his eyes. He'd gone to his quarters to take a nap on his own bed, and Grimm had to go wake him up and bring him along.

"Oh you'll be fine, crybaby." Cipher punched Larry in the arm and the two shared a chuckle.

"Quiet you two!" shushed Nagase.

Gennette kept a steady gaze on the nearest clock hanging on the wall and watched the second hand tick slowly towards twelve. Pops watched it too, and right when the clock struck midnight, the radio speaker they were all crowded around crackled to life and the loud, gruff full of energy voice the original Wardog pilots had come to know and love blared out to greet them.

" _Hey, it's me! Get the wax outta your ears and listen up! We found Nikanor, Yuktobania's prime minister, and we broke him outta prison. This war wasn't his doing at all!_ "

Overwhelmed with feelings of joy and relief, Grimm and Nagase embraced one another and jumped around happily at the knowledge of their original flight lead's now confirmed survival, while Cipher could only laugh out loud. Captain Bartlett was alive and well!

Celebrations didn't last long, more important matters were at hand. They couldn't talk for long either, the connection was shaky at best and there were some times they couldn't understand him, but Bartlett made sure all the important details were given to them about the situation. When everything was gathered, Nagase, Grimm and Cipher were able to share a quick greeting with one another before the transmission ended with static.

"There's no time to waste, Captain." said Pops, patting Andersen's shoulder.

"I understand. The Kestrel will be ready for fighter launch operations when your briefing is completed."

"Let's go guys, we've got an old geezer to save!" laughed Cipher.

Getting all the information ready to be briefed to the pilots didn't take as long as they thought, and once the pilots were settled in their chairs, Pops started almost immediately with the briefing.

"Captain Bartlett has rescued Prime Minister Nikanor of Yuktobania. He plans to attack an airfield in northeast Yuktobania, steal and airplane, and then escape with the prime minister. First, go to the targeted area and wait for contact from Captain Bartlett. He'll likely have you support him as he forces his way into the airfield. More mission details will be supplied to you upon arriving at the local airspace. Threat status in the area of operation is unclear, so prepare your flight for the possibility of threats from both the ground and the air. The Kestrel and its fleet will rendezvous with you after the operation's completion. Dismissed!"

 **\- Pobeda Peninsula, Northeastern Yuktobania -**

 **\- 23°08'13"N, 113°02'00"E -**

 **\- December 23rd, 2010 0705 hrs -**

The early morning sun had just begun to peak over the horizon onto the Pobeda Peninsula, dark shadows from the low-lying mountains and rugged foothills covering the valleys that existed between them. Because of the lack of fighter pilots, Larry and Nicolai had stayed behind to be the Kestrel's support in case something were to happen, though they all doubted something would.

A precaution was a precaution however, and so it was just the Razgriz squadron there. With James as their AWACS again, Cipher felt entirely confident that the operation would go off without a hitch.

Just like the operation to rescue president Harling, however, they kept quiet for most of the journey there and prepared themselves for it to go wrong. Cipher slowed his airspeed down when they reached the target area as given by James, and then waited. He took a moment to look down and squinted, attempting to make out anything in the darkness, but the shadows were too much for his eyes to see anything.

Then their radios started to crackle, and they listened intently to for what was going to come through on the channel they'd been told to switch to.

"Hey, it's me...I'm okay so far, and the car's hidden under a bush." whispered Bartlett. Cipher grinned and chuckled to himself, figuring that's why he could hardly see anything within the shadows.

"Other resistance members are hidden all over the place, but I still got a bad feeling about this. We're gonna be stormin' the gate here soon. Keep us covered, I'm counting on you. I think there's gonna be an ambush waiting for us."

The radio grew silent again and James connected himself to their HUDs for their in-flight briefing, going straight into it without any in-between.

"According to Captain Bartlett's information, the resistance has already infiltrated the airfield and is currently awaiting his arrival. The road to the airfield is covered with checkpoints and defensive positions, so anticipate stiff resistance. Provide close air support and guidance when needed to make sure Bartlett arrives at the airfield on time for the operation to begin. After arriving, the resistance will load Prime Minister Nikanor onto a captured transport plane, and Captain Bartlett will attempt to escape. Got it?"  
"Roger that Eagle Eye. Keep a close eye on everyone from up there." replied Snow. "Wouldn't want anything bad to happen."

"Mission, start!"

Right when he finished and the data link ended, lights emerged from the shadows below and Cipher turned his aircraft slightly to look down and observe them. Four sets had appeared, all of them belong to vehicles Bartlett and his allies owned he figured, and they soon converged on the road cutting through the valley they were hiding in.

As an extra precaution, Bartlett was the driver of the armored vehicle containing the Prime Minister and his escort, a woman with jet black hair. The rest of his entourage were in armed jeeps in front and behind them as a convoy, their group consisting of resistance members and soldiers they had picked up along the way who were loyal to Nikanor. He banged his knuckles on the door separating the cabin and the driver, and gave its occupants a thumbs up through the open window.

"This is Heartbreak One. The jailbreak tour starts here. We're counting on your escort from the air!"  
"I'll be witnessing you bravery from down here, everyone." spoke the female sitting with the prime minister, loud enough for the radio transponder next to Bartlett to pick up.

"Y-Yes, Ma'am!" sputtered Grimm, not expecting there to be a female with their captain. Nagase was quick to ask questions on that specific matter.

"Um...is there someone else in there with you?" requested Nagase of Bartlett, a chuckle escaping his lips.

"Me?" asked the woman with a laugh herself. "I'm mystery woman number one."

"Razgriz, this is Eagle Eye. Enemy fighters are on radar, you've been detected. Eliminate them and provide top cover for the convoy."

Cipher spread his wingmen out to cover the immediate airspace above Bartlett's armored column and they waited for the enemy fighters to arrive, the first assumption being they were regular Yuke fighters.

"And you must be that guy Kid told me about, Eagle Eye, right? Glad to finally meet you." Bartlett snorted. "Definitely better then that Thunderhead, always with the rules and everything."

"He told you about Eagle Eye?" asked Nagase again.

"Of course I did. Kid told me everything before I got shot down. Cornered him and I persuaded him to spill the beans."

"It wasn't really persuasion, more like forcing…"

Cipher and Bartlett shared a warm laugh with one another as the convoy left the valley they had hidden inside of and approached a fork in the road, while the enemy fighters finally arrived to do battle with the Razgriz.

Once they did realize who they were dealing with, the courage the Yuke pilots had instantly drained away and Snow and Grimm easily took care of them without any problems. At the same time, Cipher was in constant communication with Bartlett as they made their way to the airfield. At the fork, there was a longer and short route, and without much deliberation they decided on the shorter route with heavier defenses since it would get them to the airfield quicker.

The defenses they didn't have to worry about since Cipher had his Tomcat and Nagase's jet equipped with air-to-ground missiles capable of wiping out any opposition they could face. Jet fighters weren't the only air forces the Yukes sent to stop them, attack helicopters were soon en route and while they took care of the ground, Snow and Grimm met them before they could even get close to hassle them.

"Jack's told me all about you. Kid, Chopper, and...um…" started the woman with Bartlett before Nagase finished her sentence for her.

"Nagase. Kei Nagase."

"Hey, speakin' of Motormouth, where is he? Should've heard him make a quip or something by now." remarked Bartlett with a snort. "Or maybe he's finally learned to be quiet for a few."

Cipher and the others were silent, Bartlett waiting for their reaction with a small grin as he glanced back and shared gazes with the woman in the vehicle before their silence got too long. His grin slowly faded when he realized why they hadn't said anything, and owning up for his rather obnoxious remarks he sighed.

"He...ain't here, isn't he?"

"Not any more...sir." replied Nagase in a low tone.

Bartlett nod his head in silent mourning for Chopper's memory. "He was gonna be a great fighter pilot…"

"He was one, Captain."

"That you Grimm? You're up there too?" questioned Bartlett, the younger man's voice bringing back a smile to his face. "I was planning to promote you to the squadron in the next evaluation, but to think you're with them already, hot damn!"

"Thank you very much sir!"  
Grimm smiled the entire way back to Cipher's side after he and Snow had shot down the enemy air resistance attempting to stop the convoy.

"So you're Captain Bartlett." said Snow. "After all this time, we finally meet."

"Captain Snow from the naval air force? Sorry I haven't introduced myself yet, I'm kinda shy, you know."  
"So I hear, Captain. Greetings."

A few more short words on life and experiences were shared between the pilots and their allies on the ground before the mission took precedence once more. Another enemy checkpoint had been identified up ahead, the Yukes in the area fully recognizing the gravity of the situation and pulling all the stops to stop the convoy.

Nagase had to eliminate some artillery they'd pulled out, and Cipher took care of a couple armored patrols that were en route to block Bartlett's push for the airfield. The Yuke pillboxes at each checkpoint were unable to defend themselves from the air, and each time Bartlett's convoy pushed onward with little resistance.

"Nagase, you fly like that and you're still not dead?" questioned Bartlett with a grin, having pulled himself into the front passenger seat of the armored vehicle. "You're really something!"

"Thank you, sir!"

Nagase smiled from the praise given to her by Bartlett, and from there Cipher saw a visible enhancement on her ferocity and prowess in the sky. He smiled knowing that just praise alone her former captain was enough to empower her that greatly. The mission went along smoothly with each checkpoint being utterly obliterated by Cipher and his team, along with any attempt the Yukes made to stop them as well. Soon enough the airfield was just within their grasp, and Bartlett grinned when they laid eyes upon it after cresting a hill.

"Krylo Air Base, finally! Being in this vehicle and not being able to move in three dimensions really cramps my style."

They drove full speed down the hill towards the front gates of the air base, a precision bombing run by Snow and Grimm destroying the defenses to give them a free pass inside.

"Alright, we're at the airfield!"

"Confirmed, Heartbreak One has reached the target destination. Begin operation, seize the hangar!" ordered James across the radio waves.

Resistance members with Bartlett contacted their allies within Krylo and the uprising began, former allies turning enemies among the Yukes as their own tanks and weapons were turned on them. They were either captured or killed, and by the time Bartlett's convoy had reached their hangar, the entire base was under Resistance control.

"Alright, let's get a move on!"

He hopped out of the vehicle and grabbed his assault rifle, hurrying to the back of the vehicle to open the bay door and peer inside. The woman and the prime minister were already moving towards him to be led out and to their ride out of Yuktobania. Other resistance members gathered around them to form a protective screen in case there were any other problems that came up.

"This one, Mr. B. Use this plane!" shouted one of the members, leading them to C-1 Trader stored inside the nearest hangar.

"Hey, I'll take any plane you got. Anything's better then a car."

As he climbed into the plane to head for the cockpit, the prime minister and his escort strapping themselves in for when they had to take off.

"Wait, hasn't it been a while since Captain Bartlett flew a plane?" asked Grimm as they entered a holding pattern over the air base.

"He's be fine, Grimm. It would take more then a few months of not flying to keep the old man from joining us." replied Cipher with a smile.

On the ground, Bartlett had started up the engines and the resistance members cluttered around the hangar moved aside to let him get the plane rolling towards the runway. He checked one last time that his two passengers were good to go before going straight forward, looking skyward for his support.

"Thanks for the navigation earlier, Kid. That was a fun drive for all of us." he said as he turned the plane on a dime, ready for take off.

"This is Heartbreak One, I'm taking off! Helloooo, sky! I'm comin' home!"

Grimm laughed as hey all watched the C-1 roll down the runway, gaining more and more speed until Bartlett finally got it to lift up off the ground and begin its ascent into the sky. Cipher smiled at the sight, which reminded him of all those months ago of seeing Pops take off from Sand Island during the attack just when the war had begun.

It was like a release from the grounded physical world, when a pilot took to the skies. Like they were leaving behind all of their earthly problems and were returning to their one true home, in that deep blue sky.

"Edge to Heartbreak One. We'll fly past our allies' front line and head for the ocean. The Kestrel will meet us on the way." said Nagase once Bartlett had joined them.

"Roger that. Just hope we don't run into any bad guys."

He spoke to soon. Right then James got several enemy pings on his radar and after confirming their location and heading, he told he Razgriz and their to be escorted cargo about their incoming opponents.

They got closer and Cipher's mood was soured when, even in the dim morning light, he could make out the blank grey color schemes of the jets heading right for them at top speed. They were F-15S/MTDs, and he knew of only one squadron that flew those specific jets with that particular paint job.

Once they were closer the others finally made them out too, and felt equally tense.

"Enemy fighters spotted. It's the 8492nd."

"Ah, the long lost Belkan Grabacr Fighter Squadron, eh?" questioned Bartlett.

The Belkans took stock of their enemies as well, seeing the pitch black fighter jets accompanying a lone transport plane. Among themselves they were talking about who the pilots were, and what their allies from Ofnir had said was actually true.

"Is that really them?"

"I saw those planes plunge into the ocean along with the Colonel on my radar."

"It's them, the 'Ghost of Razgriz'. The description from Ofnir checks out. They were the ones that attacked the mine too."

The Belkans grew silent when their flight lead didn't respond to their quips. Finally the leader did say something, an order to his flight in a foreboding tone.

"Let's find out for ourselves in battle if they really are demons."

The four man flight of Belkans then split off from one another to engage their Osean counterparts, Bartlett turning his C-1 sharply to the right in order to avoid conflict as much as possible. It went without saying much that Cipher and the Razgriz had to fend off the Belkans and protect the prime minister.

"Razgriz, shoot down all members of the Grabacr squadron. Don't let a single one escape!" James informed them, despite the pilots already knowing it.

The two ace squadrons were neck and neck in regards to skill, the talent of Belkan pilots never ceasing to amaze the three Oseans while Cipher treated it like another walk in the park. One thing he did concede however was that compared to Ofnir, these pilots were more skilled and disciplined.

Perhaps it was because they had more experience under their belts, or maybe just because they were under different leadership. Cipher didn't have the exact answer, but he didn't really need to have one because the end result would be the same.

" _I'm going to shoot these guys down, no matter what._ "

 **\- OFS Kestrel, Ceres Ocean -**

 **\- 157°05'12"N 54°20'17"E -**

 **\- December 23rd, 2010 1123 hrs -**

Gennette watched from the side as the C-1 trader slowed to a halt once the arresting cable had done its duty after being caught by the craft. The engines powered down and the propellers stopped rotating, the doors eventually opening up with the help of the deck crew to allow the passengers out.

Bartlett hopped down from the cockpit to be there with the crew as the prime minister and his associate were brought out onto the deck.  
He had returned once more. He had brought Nikanor, the Prime Minister of Yuktobania, with him. And surprisingly, he had brought one more person, a female recon major within the yuke army...the one who broke his heart fifteen years ago.

Talking with Pops and Andersen, as well as the pilots when they were allowed to land, it became clear why nobody could find him in the POW camps. The very first POW of the war, he had escaped before they could even get him into the camps.

Gennette, who was also present in the long overdue get together, raised his camera as Andersen shook hands with the grizzled flight lead and took the picture.

"So get this, Yuktobania's situation is just like Osea's, as you can clearly see." said Bartlett afterwards, sitting down with his students and Snow. "Nikanor was touting for reconciliation with Osea, and was imprisoned after a silent coup while the rest of the country marched right into large-scale war."

"That's horrible...to think both leaders would've been removed like that." said Nagase sadly.

"Yeah, no kiddin'. Now this whole thing is just a shit storm and a half."

"You can say that again."

Bartlett turned his head when he watched Larry and Nicolai walk into the room, the former grinning with a fresh wad of tobacco in his lower lip.

"Who are you?"

"Jack, that's my buddy." remarked Cipher with a smile. "It's the other half of the dream team."

Larry turned his body to the right to show Bartlett the red devil dog that personified the Galm Team and Bartlett nearly had to take a triple take. From Cipher to Larry he looked back and forth, before beginning to laugh out loud, a heart laugh.

"You've got to be shitting me! That's golden!"

At the same time, Nikanor had taken a seat by himself and Nicolai had walked right up to him when he recognized him. Cipher watched out of the corner of his eye and smiled more when the two fellow yukes were soon embracing one another, the prime minister overjoyed to see that one of his air force's pilots had managed to see through the deception.

Gennette took advantage of the situation too and approached the woman, his video camera recording the entire motion.

"What should I call you?" he asked, the woman glancing at him before removing the dark sunglasses she wore.

"Just 'Major'." she replied.

"What's your real name?"

The Major failed to supply Gennette with that answer, only returning a smile instead. Gennette would learn that throughout the coup, she had remained faithful to the prime minister and his vision of peace. It was that faith that had brought her here to the Kestrel.

She was carrying a single disc. She told everyone that the disc contained the supposed secret plans of their enemies, the Grey Men. Hours after it was given to a team to be cracked, the encryption code remains elusive.

 **\- 1856 hrs -**

"The SOLG."

The Major pointed skyward with a single finger, Gennette following her gaze and squinted his eyes to make out a single star that was dimmer then the rest. The night sky was in full bloom, and without any light pollution, they could see everything above them.

Gennette had heard only whispers of the SOLG and what he was, the farthest extent his knowledge went on the matter was that it was drafted sometime during the last war.

"A military attack satellite that your country began building during the war fifteen years ago, then abandoned in the peace that followed. The Arkbird was reborn partly to resurrect that dreadful star. Now even after the Arkbird was destroyed...the Space Center's mass driver is still launching supplies into orbit.  
The Major lowered her arm and took her eyes away from the starry night sky, smiling somewhat to herself while Gennette continued to look above.

"Just what is that 'star' receiving from them…?"

"Enemy aircraft detected close to Area B7R. There's no time to change course. Eliminate hostile forces in the Round Table and break through it."

Cipher glanced right and smiled as she saw PJ soar up next to him. They were both eager to bring this nightmarish war to an end, with everything that had happened. And now, in order to do so, they had to spend one final time within the infamous Round Table against they assumed would be their toughest adversaries yet.

Eagle Eye updated their radars with eight fast approaching enemies. Just by the way they flew and how they entered the airspace, Cipher figured these enemies were Belkan. The matter was figuring out which Belkan squadron this was, and if he either knew of them or hadn't faced them yet.

Soon enough he finally got a view of the enemy. Eight Su-47 Berkuts, colored with dark brown and grey spotted camo with yellow and white markings. Sure enough on their wings, emblazoned in the same white and yellow colors as their country's flag, was the Belkan Air Force's roundel.

"Gault One to all units. Begin the operation." spoke the lead pilot, his squadron splitting up immediately. "Let the victor...be justice."

Cipher gunned forward towards the approaching enemy, meeting them head on with PJ right by his side. The ADFX-01 Morgan he flew allowed him to keep up with the advanced Belkan fighter jets and their skilled pilots, but even still his heart was racing with adrenaline that threatened to take over if he didn't keep himself under control.

"Demon Lord of the Round Table, I was hoping to meet you under different circumstances."

All of a sudden everything grew dark, the sky, the landscape, the whole planet became pitch black to Cipher. His jet was flying within an endless black expanse, and he had no idea what was going on. Soon he too turned dark, and the jet disappeared while he started to sprint as hard as he could through the air. Soon footsteps came from the silent darkness and Cipher soon found himself running through a pitch black hallway as fast as he could, his bare feet striking the metal floor with loud metallic thumps.

He could hear voices behind him, loud ones, shouting about his escape and that he was making his way towards the surface. He should've been out of breath by now but he wasn't, his body was as strong as ever, even stronger. The darkness hardly hindered him too, and he could already see the end of the hallway up head.

He had to keep going, he had to keep running, he had to leave it all behind.

Cipher finally reached a door at the end of the hallway and twisted it open, before he turned his head and saw at the very other end, past the soldiers chasing him, two other men just like him being forced to their knees, assault rifles held at their heads.

They were supposed to escape together...but they were caught. He had a choice, and he chose it.

" _I'm sorry...I'm sorry!_ "

He threw open the door, and with the loud slam it made when it closed Cipher jolted awake in his bed, his entire body dripping with sweat from head to toe. Once he got a grip on reality and checked to make sure he was okay, he let out a sigh and collapsed onto his back again, covering his face with his hands.

"God dammit…"


	31. Sea of Chaos

A/N I've been waiting for this chapter, because by far, to this day, it's still one of my most favorite missions out of all of Ace Combat. Yes, it's not some fight against a Megalith, or Arkbird or Stonehenge or whatever. What makes it one of my favorites is just the entire feel and the message it holds.  
The three Yuke vessels that decided to defect was also beautiful too, and Andersen playing "The Journey Home" throughout the entire battle just really hits home right in the feels. Think I actually cried when I first played it.  
Anyways, good to be back!  
Leave a favorite and review my fellow aces!

* * *

 **Chapter 29 - Sea of Chaos**

 _As the demon sleeps, man turns on man_

 _His own blood and madness soon cover the earth_

 _From the depths of despair awaken the Razgriz_

 _Its raven wings ablaze in majestic light_

* * *

 **\- OFS Kestrel, Ceres Ocean -**

 **\- 30°59'30"N 147°05'20"E -**

 **\- December 29th, 2010 1721 hrs -**

"All hands, proceed to battle stations. Yuktobanian fleet ahead."

Out of all the worst possible outcomes that could have befallen the Kestrel and her fleet, this had to be one of the worse. Warning sirens were blaring throughout the vessel, its crew scrambling across all levels to get to their combat ready positions as quickly as possible, including its air crews.

Cipher quickly jumped himself into his flight suit and was sprinting into the hangar in a matter of minutes, spotting Nagase and Grimm soon after.

"Guys, what the hell's going on?!"

"It's an enemy fleet, they've appeared just across from us." said Snow, making his walk up to them with flight helmet in hand.

Larry and Nicolai were the last to appear, both pilots fully suited up and ready to go as well. They were the only combat capable pilots on board the vessel, and since they had yet to get a grasp of the situation at hand, with the size of the fleet they could very well be facing, it was unknown how the coming battle would go.

In the bridge of the Kestrel, the operators and crewmen there were just as hectic, but in a more controlled fashion thanks to the presence of Andersen. He was there with Nikanor too, as well as the Major who never left his side.

"What a shitty situation this is…" growled Bartlett while crossing his arms and frowning.

"Indeed. How many vessels?"

"The enemy fleet contains eighteen ships, arrayed in a battle formation designed to block our fleet's path, sir."

Andersen ruffled his mustache and went over his fleet's vessels again in his mind before asking of the technical makeup of the Yuke fleet. Four frigates of the _Krivak_ -class, ten _Sovremenny_ -class guided missile destroyers, three _Kirov_ -class battlecruisers, and the centerpiece being one of Yuktobania's _Admiral Kuznetzov_ -class carriers, the YNS Admiral Tsanev.

"Prime Minister, if you please."

He handed the voice responder to the man and Nikanor nod his head, approaching the windows of the bridge and looking out from the vessel, across the shimmering afternoon waters, and to the awaiting Yuktobanian fleet blocking their path. He cleared his throat, gathered his thoughts, and held his finger down on the transmission trigger.

"Attention, Yuktobanian fleet. This is Prime Minister Nikanor, representative of your government. I am on the…" he paused, looking back at Andersen. "The Kestrel?"

Andersen replied with a nod, "Yes, the Kestrel."

Nikanor returned his attention to the fleet before them, starting his broadcast through the Kestrel's speakers again. "I am on the Osean carrier Kestrel, for the sake of restoring peace between our Yuktobania and the country of Osea. We will once again-"

" _Attention, all vessels._ "

Nikanor was baffled when the fleet commander of the opposite Yuktobanian fleet interrupted him so blatantly and disrespectfully over an open radio channel, as if Nikanor's title and position had never existed in the first place.

" _The only thing that exists between Yuktobania and Osea is hatred. Prime Minister Nikanor has joined the enemy. Recognize him as such, and sink the enemy fleet with him._ "

The Yuke fleet began to slowly churn forward through the calm ocean waters after orders from their fleet commander. A lone voice however then pierced through the tension-ridden air, from one of the frigates near the front of the fleet.

" _But commander, that's the Prime Minister talking._ "

The frigate increased speed and then began to turn inward from the outer edge, intending to halt their allies from advancing further on the Kestrel's fleet.

" _Please, stand down. We don't know why we're fighting anymore. Sir, please, cancel engagement and stand down._ "

"What the hell, look! One of their ships is moving out in front!" exclaimed Bartlett after taking his eyes away from the binoculars he had, handing them to Andersen.

The aging admiral took a look through them as well, his frown deepening as the situation unfolded. They could hear everything being broadcasted echoing out across the waves, and it seemed like the only sane thinking vessel among the Yukes was that lone frigate. It didn't last long.

" _All vessels loyal to the fleet, a traitor is blocking our way. Attack the frigate ship Pitomnik._ "

Andersen watched as the front guns of the nearby frigates and a few destroyers close to the identified Pitomnik rotated towards their ally, training their sights on the defenseless frigate.

"Dear god…"

" _Open fire._ "

The Yuke Fleet Commander's direct order rang out loud and true, the guns of the destroyers and frigates aiming at the Pitomnik firing off several rounds that struck and pierced the lightly armored hull of their allied vessel. Explosions tore apart the hull as each round fired onto the Pitomnik by the other Yuke vessels punctured the armor. Eventually the guns grew silent, and the Pitomnik was left for dead by the rest of the fleet. Fire and smoke spewed outward from the gashes and holes in its hull, quickly filling up the sky.

Its captain silenced and crew either mostly dead or going overboard, the other vessels in the fleet turned a blind eye as they maneuvered around the sinking Pitomnik. There weren't even any attempts to save the crew in the water by the other ships. Nikanor was utterly appalled, the Major too, and Andersen, Pops and Bartlett were speechless.

The callous act of aggression against their own countrymen was a horrifying example of just how much this war had affected everyone.

It seemed like conflict was inevitable with the entire Yuke fleet, and for a few moments of tense silence nothing seemed to happen before one of the destroyers on the outer edge of the fleet began to pick up more speed, its engines going into full stride.

" _This is the YNS Gumrak of the glorious Yuktobanian Navy. We cannot follow a fleet commander that is willing to sink one of his own ships._ "

Nikanor and the Major's hopes for their people soared when they heard the brave naval captain speak his mind after the Pitomnik's sinking, and Andersen confirmed their hopes when he saw that vessel churn forward ahead of its peers.

" _We will protect Prime Minister Nikanor. All ships who are with us, change course and follow us!_ " announced the Gumrak's captain.

Soon after the declaration, two other vessels soon joined the Gumrak's side, and began a rapid departure from the Yuke fleet in order to join and merge with the Kestrel's fleet.

" _Any vessel that does not follow the flagship will be fired upon._ "

"Protect those brave defectors. Launch fighters!"

Andersen lowered the transponder after Nikanor returned it to him, the deck of the carrier soon scrambling with personnel to get their fighter pilots up into the air to protect their newfound allies. With that taken care of, Andersen turned to Nikanor and looked him dead in the eye.

"Prime Minister, please take your leave."

"But-"

"Go to our President, and get a televised picture of the two of you together, shaking hands. Show i to the world."

Nikanor was conflicted at first, because he felt an obligation to stay and see the battle about to take place to the end, but he also understood that he had a duty to bring the entire war to an end before any more lives had to be sacrificed. He looked to Bartlett and the Major, and when they both nod their heads, he returned the gesture.

Andersen watched the three of them leave, and Pops took the prime minister's place next to the admiral to be the eyes and ears of the whole operation. In a matter of minutes, Cipher and the rest of the pilots were raised up to the deck via elevator, and Cipher made one last glance at Larry and Nicolai, who waved off from the side. They were going to be escorts for the Prime Minister, the Major, and Bartlett when they departed from the carrier. James would meet up with them as well, since he had to make the long return trip to Ustio since he couldn't land on the Kestrel.

His radio crackled and Pops soon tapped into his HUD system, along with Nagase, Grimm and Snow's too. "The situation is critical out there, and we need you all to help provide stability as soon as possible. The Kestrel's CIC IFF info will be directly connected to your HUDs, so you'll be able to get an ID on your targets. Engage and render powerless all forces carrying out acts of aggression against the Kestrel and our new allied fleet."

"Roger that Pops!"

"Will the Prime Minister be okay?"

"He's got Foulke and Nicolai there with Bartlett, they'll get him to Osea safely." said Snow to reassure Nagase. "Right now, we have to focus on protecting the Kestrel and those defecting Yuke ships!"

Cipher was the first to be readied for launch on the catapult, and with a countdown he was thrown off the deck and into the sky, the afternoon sun making his Tomcat's pitch black body glisten like the wings of an angel. Nagase and Grimm followed him up shortly, with Snow taking the trail position.

It was their single squadron versus an entire Yuktobanian combat ready fleet. If they were going to succeed in protecting their allies, they would have to pull out all the stops.

"A group of comrades has come to our aide." spoke Andersen to them. "Protect those brave souls!"  
As they soared towards the enemy, a loud wailing screech of sorts came from the Kestrel through its powerful speaker system, and Cipher wondered what the hell they were doing before they heard Andersen one last time.

"Commence battle. We are not alone!"

Nagase's eyes widened when a heavenly voice began to echo out across the ocean and through their radios, the song it sung enough to penetrate down to their very souls. It was the same song that was performed by the crowd at November stadium, when instead of war, they hoped and pleaded with their voices for peace.

It was the very song Chopper sang before his passing.

"...Razgriz Air Command Squadron...engage!" Cipher ordered, despite his throat tightening up as his emotions began to come out of their bottle with the song's appearance.

Nagase, Grimm and Snow split off from his six in order to engage the entire fleet, their focus going for the Yuke vessels closest to the defecting ships attempting their escape.

"Kestrel CIC here. We'll transmit IFF data for the opposing ships. Do not fire on our allies!"

"Roger Kestrel!"

Cipher rolled and twisted through oncoming CIWS fire from the hostile vessels and fired a pair of missiles near the bow of his target, the attack decimating the destroyer's front gun before it could fire on the Gumrak. The other two vessels had come under fire from nearby frigates and a destroyer, prompting Grimm and Snow to intercept and wreak havoc on their offensive armaments to relieve stress.

Nagase dove down towards the water and locked onto and enemy destroyer before firing a single LASM, the huge missile skirting above the water and smashing into the hull, a huge explosion of fire and water shooting skyward and rocking the entire boat. As she flew by the newly allied Yuke destroyer, an awed voice came through the radio directed towards her and her squadron.

"Those planes...are you the Razgriz?"

"Yes, yes we are. We'll cover you!" replied Nagase, dodging several anti-air missiles from another destroyer near the center of the fleet.

"I knew it! This is the captain of the YNS Chuda. It is an honor to fight alongside you!"

With interference from the Razgriz, the Gumrak, Chuda, and the third vessel, Dub, which was identified after the captain communicated with Cipher after the pilot warded off its attackers, eventually managed to pull away from their former allies and reached open water between the two fleets.

The Yuke fleet resorted to using long range attacks to sink the deserters, and on orders from Andersen the single _Ticonderoga_ -class and two _Cassard_ -class frigates within his fleet began moving forward to meet the enemy head on and provide cover for the defectors with their own weapons systems.

"Unbelievable! They're firing on their own ships!" said Grimm, disgusted by the actions of the enemy Yukes.

To see how quickly they'd turn on their own countrymen for the sake of the war and their hatred of Osea that was bred from it, doctored by Belka, it made him feel sick to her stomach. Nagase felt the same way too, and with every missile she let loose she felt her heart break little by little. The song Andersen was playing from the Kestrel wasn't helping with her emotions either.

When their fleet's ships met with the Gumrak and her supporters, they held steadfast for their Yuke allies to turn around and join in assisting the Razgriz with their assault on the enemy Yuke fleet.

With their front line now devastated, the ships either critically incapacitated or sinking, Cipher and the Razgriz penetrated deeper into the airspace above the fleet, prompting Yuke carrier aircraft to launch from the fleet's only carrier, the Admiral Tsanev.

"The battle's taking a new turn, our new fleet's firing on the enemy Yukes!" exclaimed Snow when the destroyer he was targeting was murdered by a swarm of anti-ship missiles from behind them.

"Stay on your toes everyone, anything can happen!" ordered Cipher, skillfully avoiding a swarm of CIWS fire from the nearby *Kirov-class battlecruisers flanking the Admiral Tsanev.

The battle continued to wage on, the fighter pilots with their fleet's assistance slowly whittling down the Yukes ship by ship before their radars were updated by the Kestrel CIC of a friendly fleet coming up from the south.

They were Oseans! They could help put the Yuke fleet to rest with their combined firepower.

"Allied fleet approaching from the south. Flagship is the OFS Barbet." reported a crew member to Andersen, the admiral grabbing his binoculars and looking that direction.

Indeed he was right, there was an Osean fleet approaching them, organized in a formation that kept the Barbet in the center as flagship.

"It may just be a waste of time...but try requesting some support."

"Right away, sir!"

Contact was swiftly made with the Barbet's captain, and the exchange was one of the briefest talks the crew member ever had with an Osean vessel. He gulped and took off his headphones, looking at Andersen from where he stood.

"Sir, the Osean fleet has been listening in to all of our communications up to now. They're calling us traitors and joined forces with the Yukes."

"Unfortunate…" murmured Andersen with a sigh before all hell broke loose.

At the same time, Cipher dove low, nearly scraping the water with the belly of his craft, as he made a full on attack on the Admiral Tsanev, dodging CIWS fire left and right before he pounded two LASM right into the hull of the huge carrier right at the water line. He soared away and looked back, catching the latter effects of the explosions after they had rocked the entire boat, spraying water all across the deck. Yuke fighters had already been launched, Nagase and Grimm were in the process of engaging them, but with the carrier out of commission he ensured they wouldn't have any reinforcements.

Suddenly he heard distant explosions come from behind and he whipped his head around, his heart stopping when he saw the Kestrel taking evasive maneuvers while defending herself from missiles being fired upon her by a second fleet just now being added to their radars.

"Osean ships attack! Transmitting new IFF data, intercept their attack!"

"Osean ships?!" stammered Nagase in disbelief.

She and Grimm both looked back at the Kestrel and her small fleet, which were taking defensive maneuvers to return to the carrier in order to defend it, and soon spotted the Osean fleet as well advancing on them rapidly.

"Holy shit, that's the Barbet!"

"The carrier from the Eaglin Straits?!"

"The same damn one...they've been twisted by the ones in charge. We have to protect the Kestrel!"

Cipher turned away to speed for the Osean fleet, before he heard a roar next to him and watched Nagase fly up next to him, taking her usual spot in their formation.

"Nagase, you don't-"

"I'll be fine, Cipher. Trust me."

Knowing she wasn't one for arguing, Cipher left it at that and kept his mouth shut. While Grimm and Snow stayed behind to deal with the Yuke fleet, they were going to meet the Oseans head on. Carrier borne fighter jets were already being launched to intercept them, and with heavy hearts right at the dramatic climax of the song they engaged their compatriots in a gruesome duel of air superiority.

Add the CIWS and occasional missile fired from one of the enemy Osean ships and Cipher and Nagase had their hands full handling so many things at once. They were relieved from the stress when Grimm and Snow joined them upon the destruction of the final hostile Yuktobanian ship, the remaining two vessels that were left alive becoming blue on their radars when they announced their intention to defect after a change of heart.

One threat down, one more to go, yet it was one of the most painful ones they've ever had to encounter.

"My IFF is inop, they're really shooting at me!" stammered Grimm when two Osean fighter jets got on his six.

"Of course they are! They don't know us, we're supposed to be dead!"

Cipher growled when he painfully shot down another Osean jet fighter, and immediately turned around ton save Grimm with Snow's help from the ones chasing him. They weren't the only ones suffering from the thought of firing on their own countrymen. The Yukes had their moment earlier, and now it was the men and women of the vessels within the Kestrel's fleet that felt anguish and sorrow.

"These idiots...can't they see they're being used?!"

"They have no idea what's really going on...fuck!" snarled Cipher when he started to tear up slightly, but he quickly sucked it down. "Hatred calls forth nothing but more hatred...and this is the result."

The Osean fighters from the Barbet were being shot down left and right, and those still in the air couldn't even get within gun range of the Razgriz fighters. They were being out played and out matched at every turn, the only thing they didn't know was that their enemies were wishing they could stop fighting as soon as possible.

Grimm couldn't wipe away the tears falling down his cheeks when he sunk an Osean frigate, a glance back at the exploding vessel tearing his heart in two when he saw the sailors leaping overboard to escape the roaring flames. Snow took it upon himself to lead the charge against the Barbet, since it was the sister ship of the Kestrel, and Cipher let him do so without any arguments.

Snow fired two missiles into some of the defensive weapons on the right side of the vessel and then dropped a LASM that dove straight down onto the deck and ripped open a massive flaming hole that went straight through to the hangar below. Nagase followed behind with two LASMs to the left side of the hull, striking at the water line, then Cipher further along towards the aft section. Gallons upon gallons of water were now pouring into the Barbet, and the carrier started to list despite the best efforts of its damage control crew.

They had made the mistake of picking a fight with the Razgriz and their fleet, and they were paying for it dearly.

Cipher destroyed the last vessel in the fleet after it had sustained gunfire from the Gumrak and one of their destroyers, and with that the enemy threat on the sea had been silenced. The air forces were dealt with shortly afterwards and the mission was announced complete by the CIC operator aboard the Kestrel.

"This is the captain of the Carrier Kestrel. To all the brave souls, Osean and Yuktobanian, that have survived...I congratulate you. Our journey is almost at an end. But we must not waver in your resolve to fight, to reclaim peace between the new nations."

Andersen then ended the broadcast over the open radio over a silent battlefield littered with the sinking vessels of their respective nations. Cipher glanced down and saw the two other Yuke vessels that defected, a battlecruiser and another destroyer, fall in line with their ships make a return to the Kestrel and the Andromeda.

He let out a sigh and clenched his fists, looking down at his lap for a few moments before swearing loudly to himself. What they had just witnessed, it truly had been a sea of chaos.

One by one they landed on the deck, Cipher noticing that Larry and Nicolai were already long gone with Bartlet and the Prime Minister in toe. He was glad that Larry hadn't been here to witness what just occurred.

"Cipher!"

"Nagase? Omph!"

He nearly fell when Nagase ran into him and embraced him, a glance down at her and the tears that were falling down her cheeks enough to tell him a hug back was what she wanted. Cipher slowly looked around the deck of the Kestrel and saw other Oseans mourning from what they had just done.

Out at sea, the Andromeda and the one battlecruiser that had defected were rescuing sailors from the Pitomnik. He figured the Yukes now with them were giving their thoughts and prayers to their fallen countrymen as well, the whole scene giving him nothing but unbearable sadness within his heart.  
This war hat had been from hatred and the lust for revenge was eating away at their very souls. It needed to end.


	32. Aces

A/N That mission is just so heartbreaking. Having to fight and very likely kill your own countrymen when they're in the wrong. That'll definitely leave some scars that won't ever heal, for everyone involved.  
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* * *

 **Chapter 30 - Aces**

 _As the demon sleeps, man turns on man_

 _His own blood and madness soon cover the earth_

 _From the depths of despair awaken the Razgriz_

 _Its raven wings ablaze in majestic light_

* * *

 **\- Bright Hill, Oured, Southeastern Osea -**

 **December 30th, 2010 1390 hrs -**

"Alright, it's time for my State of the Union address…" murmured the vice president as he fixed his tie in the mirror in the oval office, which after Harling's disappearance became his office.

As a vice president, Appelrouth didn't have much to do within the government because of the missing president's hands-on approach to everything that occurred within the nation. He actually didn't like the man very much, and only ran with him because he felt that through Harling he could secure himself a secure footing within government.

He also wasn't as forgiving of Yuktobania like Harling was, and didn't like the Yukes very much either. Appelrouth had always thought that Osea was the superior nation, and deserved to be recognized as such.

Those feelings made it all the more easier for him to accept the proposal of the shady individuals who told him his life would become a whole lot easier, and his wishes would be granted.

"Secretary, could you come in here for a second? I need your opinion on something."

"Sure thing, buttercup."

Appelrouth whirled around at the new voice and saw Bartlett stride right in with a smug grin on his face, a pistol in one end while the secretary the vice president was referring to was pushed aside by the men of the Sea Goblin.

"What is the meaning of this?! Who are you?" demanded Appelrouth as the squad leader stood beside Bartlett.

"Sorry, mister Vice President, but you're not going to that address."

"And why is that?"

"Because I will be going instead."

The marines stepped aside to allow a frowning Harling to enter the oval office, his gaze meeting Appelrouth's and completely shocking the man at his sudden appearance. He was here? In Oured? He was supposed to be taken care of!

"Mrs. Lynda, please get my best suit ready. I want to look my best."

"Y-Yes Mr. President!"

The secretary quickly scrambled away, Bartlett closing the door behind her and leaving the marines, Harling, and himself alone with the vice president. Appelrouth backed up against the desk, feeling their eyes all over him.

"Y-You can't do this, it's too late! The war's already begun, there's no way you can-"

Appelrouth didn't even get to finish his sentence before Harling walked right up to him and delivered a harsh right hook that knocked the man out almost instantly. His head struck the side of the desk on the way down, and his body hit the floor with a loud thump.

"Nice one, sir." snickered Bartlett, Harling shaking his hand a little to relieve the stinging sensation.

"Take this man and keep him from interrupting."

The marines were quick to follow their president's orders, two of the soldiers hoisting up the unconscious vice president with each arm and taking him out of the oval office just as the secretary returned with one of Harling's suits. Bartlett nod his head and gave the president a salute when he began to take off his tie in order to change into the new one.

"I'll go tell the prime minister to get ready."

 **\- OFS Kestrel, Briefing Room -**

 **\- December 30th, 2010 1450 hrs -**

"We've finally managed to decode the disc that the Major brought back with her. It contained the blueprints for a 'Mass Retaliation Weapon', codenamed V2, which according to Cipher, was used by a rebel organization named "A World With No Boundaries" that rose up after the official ending of the war fifteen years ago." started Pops as he flashed blueprints and diagrams of the specific nuclear weapon across the projector screen.

They were taken directly from the disc that the Major had given to them as soon as she had arrived on the Kestrel, and left for them to figure out when she departed with Nikanor for Osea with their friends. When they had finally cracked the software protecting the disc's contents, the briefing was immediately called as soon as Pops had received the information from the Andromeda's team.

Cipher felt a little uncomfortable talking about the dangerous nuclear weapon again, especially since he had already seen the devastation that only a handful of regular nuclear weapons could cause. The world didn't deserve that much pain and sorrow.

"It appears that since that time, Belka has been able to secretly complete a second V2 in the fifteen years since the war." Pops pointed to the projector screen, right at the technical blueprints. "The V2 is a MIRV missile...it could wipe out half of all metropolitan cities in either Osea or Yuktobania."

Nagase covered her mouth in shock, Snow and Grimm were left speechless, and Cipher only frowned in disgust. The other three pilots had never faced the prospect of such a powerful nuclear weapon, and Cipher was secretly appalled on the inside. Compared to the V2 weapon he remembered from the Belkan War, the second one that Belka constructed seems to have the capability to carry even more warheads then its predecessor.

"So, where would they deploy it? It had to be on the SOLG, which was also secretly completed and is now operational."

Pops changed the images to show a huge satellite none of the pilots had ever seen before, with a massive barrel and other various parts near the other end of its one kilometer long octagonal body that contained the barrel.

"After all, it was built to function as an orbital platform for such weapons in the first place. The SOLG itself is unmanned; we know it's controlled from the ground, but we didn't know where." continued Pops, the manner in which he spoke worrying the pilots that they still hadn't found the location yet.

"However, the intelligence vessel ANdromeda tracked down the origin of 'Schenze's" transmissions to the Arkbird." he said, looking again to the projector screen as it changed to the briefing software to zoom in on the Osean continent. "It's in the former South Belka, a state entrusted to Osean rule and now called North Osea. To be more precise, the transmissions originated from an experimental facility owned and operated by Gründer Industries, the manufacturer of the weapons we use."

A map of Sudentor, the location of Gründer's headquarters, was then shown to give them a feel for where they assumed they'd be flying to. Even Cipher had never been to Sudentor, so this was new territory for even him.

"The president of Gründer has sworn allegiance to Osea, but in truth, he was a secret member of the Grey Men. Under the guise of their experimental facility, they are actually digging a gigantic tunnel under the mountain range that runs along the border dividing Nord and South Belka. Their ultimate goal is to reunite the two Belkas. And in that tunnel-"

A deafening boom that sent shockwaves vibrating through the entire vessel almost knocked them flat onto the ground, the boom being followed up be the loud warning sirens of an enemy attack.

"What in the hell was that?!" snapped Snow as he righted himself, Cipher standing immediately.

Andersen's voice then came in through the intercom, urgent and serious, " _The Kestrel just took a missile hit! Enemy unknown, additional missiles approaching! Razgriz, launch immediately and gain altitude to escape!_ "

"All of you, go!" yelled Pops, nearly pushing Grimm and Nagase out the door first before Snow and Cipher followed

Cipher quickly made his way to the front and sprinted with his team down the hallway past scrambling crew members and other personnel while the Kestrel seemed to groan in agony all around them. As they were climbing up a metal rung of stairs another missile slammed into the hull of the Kestrel, sending another lethal shockwave rushing through the ship. The boom was loud and rang over every single part of the vessel, and the hit almost made Grimm slip on the steps if not for Nagase catching him.

They continued their mad dash to the hangar, eventually arriving as the elevator doors were opening all a once. The man in charge sprinted up to them and ran with them to their jets waiting in the center of the hangar space.

"This'll probably be the last time this ship launches an aircraft! We're gonna get you up there no matter what, all right?"

"Thank you so much for everything!" Nagase said, giving the man a nod before sprinting for her aircraft.

"End this war for all of us!"

"You got it." Cipher said before he climbed up the ladder to the cockpit of his Tomcat and dropped in, strapping himself in and slipping on his flight helmet.

His heart was racing, pumping blood at what felt like a hundred miles per hour through his body. This was certainly going to be something he didn't know he'd have to scratch off his bucket list.

" _Taking off from a goddamn sinking carrier...what could be worse?_ "

He flipped everything on and started to move his jet towards the elevator closet to him, Snow, Nagase and Grimm all heading for the other three open elevator doors. The Kestrel was already beginning to list as they were raised up onto the deck, and the skies around the carrier were filled with CIWS fire from not only the carrier but the Osean and Yuke vessels around them.

The missiles as they were destroyed turned the sky bright orange and yellow from the explosions, and in the bridge Andersen was standing adamantly at the windows watching the defense of his ship unfold, even though deep down he knew that the damage had already been done.

"Second wave of missiles inbound! Ten seconds to impact!"

"Counter with CIWS!"

"We can't hit 'em all, brace for impact!"

Andersen grit his teeth as the third missile to strike the Kestrel smashed into the hull right below the first starboard side elevator, the ship rocking heavily and another explosion causing the hull to rip open and create a loud ear-piercing shriek of metal as the elevator bent and warped before falling away completely into the water.

"Starboard side flood! Damage control!"

"We've been hit by three sub-launched missiles! The ship's list has increased to fifteen degrees, any more and we're done for!"

"Launch them out." Andersen ordered

"We can't!" replied the senior executive officer. "The ship's listing heavily to starboard, we're sinking fast!"

"Continue with the launch."

"But-"

Andersen fixed his glare solely on the man, a fire that hadn't been seen by any of his crew for many years ignited behind it. The man knew that there was no arguing with the admiral when he was like this.

"Take them up, hurry with the catapult. Just concentrate on launching them. All hands not conducting aircraft launch abandon ship immediately!"

His crew were quick to announce the orders across the entire vessel, and as they departed from the bridge to make way for the lifeboats, Andersen took one last look from the bridge down onto the deck of the Kestrel and the four black fighter jets being readied for launch. He remembered when he had first succeeded the previous captain after this vessel's trial journey during the war fifteen years ago, and he recalled how many times the carrier had escaped damage and destruction.

"I apologize, old friend...I couldn't keep my promise." He adjusted his cap and then left the bridge as well, the warning sirens almost drowning out his thoughts of regret.

On the deck Cipher and Nagase's planes were hooked up to the catapults and with a thumbs up and leaned back against his seat and prepared himself to be shot off the listing deck. With a loud whoosh he was accelerated down the deck and right over the water, a quick adjustment fixing his altitude and allowing him to rise quickly up into the air.

Cipher looked back just as Nagase was launched too, and after entering a short holding pattern above the sinking Kestrel, Snow and Grimm joined them as well to complete the squadron. Snow was unable to say anything as they watched his carrier, his home for an untold amount of years, be consumed by fire and smoke from the gaping blemishes in its once pristine hull. Dozens of rafts were now floating in the water after the crew had abandoned ship, and Cipher begrudgingly had to pull them away from the scene to get them focused.

"Remember, we have a job to do. We have to end this war for not only them, but for the world."

"Roger that, Captain."

"We're behind you, Cipher, all the way."

When Snow didn't respond, Cipher glanced over his shoulder at his jet and saw the man raise his head up and deliver him a thumbs up that meant he was locked in too. Cipher understood his need to pay homage to the Kestrel with his silence, and decided to let them stay for a little while longer.

On the water, one of the Osean destroyers that escorted the Kestrel had left the battle group and in the distance, the Kestrel's XO watched with a pair of binoculars when a massive plume of water erupted skyward with a deafening boom.

"Enemy submarine sunk!" he announced as loud as he could, the Kestrel's crew cheering for the retribution.

"She's sinking! The ship's sinking!"

With the unknown sailor's cry, the Kestrel's crew all turned their heads and watched sorrowfully as their beloved ship tipped over on its side with the aft fully exposed and out of the water, streams of water cascading down from the giant propellers and drive shafts they were connected to. Deafening metal groans came from the ship as the fires raging inside tore it apart, the smoke column miles high into the sky.

One by one, and out of respect and love for their dying Kestrel, saluted their vessel as it entered its death throes on its way to the bottom of the ocean. In the raft that Andersen sat in with Gennette and Pops, the admiral had removed his cap and was looking away from his vessel, while Pops and Gennette watched it in awe.

"The Kestrel...it's gone." murmured Gennette, Andersen closing his eyes and slowly nodding his head.

"I've lost time and time again...but not...I've finally won."

"Huh?"

Andersen opened his eyes and looked up towards the east, smiling at the four pitch black jets soaring off at top speed.

"Look. We launched hem off safely. There's my victory. As long as they're in the air, I haven't lost. And I know they'll succeed."

"Yeah." said Pops, smiling too while holding a hand above his eyes to block the sunlight.

Andersen watched the sky where the Razgriz had been moments before, a tune soon coming from his lips as he hummed it. The man was humming the same tune that Genette had heard from the anti-war audience in the stadium. He was the one playing that record in the middle of a sea battle.

 **\- Bright Hill, Oured, Southeastern Osea -**

 **\- December 30th, 2010 2200 hrs -**

"This is President Harling of the Osean Federation. Attention, all Osean and Yuktobanian officers and soldiers currently on the battlefield." spoke Harling with authority and a serious expression on his face.

Camera flashes lit up the podium upon which he stood, in front of the blue curtains emblazoned with the symbol of Bright Hill behind him that was used solely for only his most important broadcasts to the nation. On his left and right were two sets of flags, one the blue and white star spangled flag of Osea, and the other the red and golden yellow flag of their counterpart, Yuktobania.

This podium, and this area for speeches were usually reserved only for those which he was to speak with the people of Osea, but this speech was not being shown to Osea alone, it was being shown to the entire world. And in utter silence, the audience of news reporters and the general public assembled before him watched and listened to every work he spoke.

"Let us put down our guns and come out of the trenches. The Osean capital of Oured has been freed of the people who took advantage of my absence to usurp control of the country. Once robbed of my freedom and my ability to do the right thing by those who only wish to do harm to others, I now stand under the light of the golden sun, and I do so with the honorable Yuktobanian Prime Minister Nikanor by my side." continued Harling as Nikanor, who had just now made his appearance on the stage, lifted his head to the cameras in the crowd and allowed himself to be seen across the world.

"We have resolved our terrible and unfortunate misunderstandings...and the war is now over."

Harling then took a step aside and motioned for Nikanor to take the stand, to broadcast his voice across the world and to tell everyone the truth they deserve to hear. He took a deep breath, and fixed his gaze forward with pride and grace.

"This is Prime Minister Nikanor, head of government for the Union of Yuktobanian Republics. Attention, all officers and soldiers of Osea and Yuktobania currently on the battlefield. Please watch as President Harling and I stand shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand." he announced, holding an arm out to allow Harling to stand by him behind the podium, the two firmly holding hands briefly for the whole world to see.

"President Harling's words are true. The war is now over, but there is one more battle that still needs to be fought."

"We believe that those who have tried to stir hatred between us are now preparing a weapon that could wipe out half of all metropolitan areas in either one of our countries. Our comrades are in flight as I speak, determined to stop this plan dead in its tracks."

Shocked gasps emerged from the crowd, followed by terrified whispers and murmurings about the dire threat this weapon posed.

"However, that is no longer important. No matter which country is hit, it will be a severe blow to all of us."

"So now I ask you, members of the military, if you see it in your hearts, please utilize the resources available to you and help out our brave pilots...the Razgriz."

The crowd assembled at Bright Hill, and all of those watching or listening in to the broadcast all let out a gasp. Any suspicion or doubt of the existence of the Razgriz heard around the world was well and truly dispelled; if the president of Osea said it himself, then it certainly must be true.

"Right now they are flying east to Sudentor...to meet the enemy."

Harling looked to the darkened ceiling of the building above, and beyond that to the starry night sky, knowing that those four brave pilots he got to know and learn about were on their way to put an end to this war once and for all.

He felt it in his heart and his soul. He knew they wouldn't let evil win.

Nikanor then pat Harling on the shoulder and the two looked at one another for a brief moment before Harling stepped back to allow the Yuke the podium to himself. He leaned forward, placing his hands firmly on the mahogany wood, and glared at the cameras before him with spirit and fire coursing through his veins.

"To those who still dare to hide behind the power of their hateful weapons, bring yourself before the light of peace and harmony!"

With the raising of his arms skyward, the crowd erupted into deafening cheering and applause that rendered all capability of hearing one's thoughts impossible.

Across the Ceres Ocean, in Yuktobania where the fighting had dragged on ever since the failed first attempt to invade Cinigrad, around the besieged city, the sounds of gunfire and artillery shells dropping had ceased. The battlefield had grown silent with the start of the worldwide broadcast, played on every television and radio in the city and outside it, and upon its conclusion, an eerie calm had now settled over Cinigrad.

No one dared to move from where they stood, men held their weapons with sweaty hands. Eventually, from a dug out foxhole, an Osean soldier soon spotted a lone Yuke soldier walked out from behind a pile of sandbags set up next to a collapsed building. The soldier in question could feel thousands of eyes on him as he walked out into no man's land, surrounded by the bodies of his countrymen and those from Osea, the tanks that were abandoned or destroyed, and the craters left behind by artillery and mortar shells fired so long ago.

The Osean soldier who first spotted the lone man saw the soldier next to him bring up his rifle, and with but a glance and he slow shaking of his head, he lowered his brother in arm's weapon and raised himself up out of his foxhole. He dropped his gun and helmet, and stripped off his kevlar armor. Those around him watched in complete silence as he began the lonely walk down from where he was originally to approach the soldier.

The Yuke and Osean eventually stopped, several feet apart from one another. The Yuke still had his weapon him, as well as his battle gear. They met gazes, both men covered in grim and smelling like death. Then the Yuke soldier did what was thought impossible by both sides.

He threw down his helmet, stripped off his combat vest, and chucked his weapon behind him before approaching the Osean soldier and throwing his arms around him. The Osean did the same, and the two former enemies embraced one another for all to see.

With this showing of the love of one man for another, this spread across the whole of Yuktobania and around the world. Osean fighter squadrons still on the mainland, either grounded or in the air doing combat patrols, disobeyed orders and left their posts to travel to where the Razgriz would be. Yuke fleets in the Ceres Ocean launched their own fighters, and upon reaching Osea weren't targeted at all by any AA defense systems. Soldiers of both countries came together and made the journey to Osea too, all of them thinking with one body, mind, and soul. They were on their way to end a war.

- **Sudentor, North Osea -**

 **\- 24°08'54"N 234°07'59"E -**

 **\- December 30th, 2010 2221 hrs -**

Cipher, Grimm, Nagase and Snow hadn't spoken to one another since they had departed the fleet, having flowing from their location close to Osean shores in complete silence. The skies over North Osea close to Sudentor were dark and cloudy, with the wind strong enough to whistle past them as they flew.

Suddenly four fighters popped up on radar, flying right for them on an intercept path. Cipher knew they would have to fight at some point, but before he could give the order to attack, on an open channel a curious sound was heard. It was whistling, and it was coming from one of the unknown pilots.

The most curious thing of all was that the tune of the whistle was "The Journey Home".

"Those are Yuke fighters." said Grimm, before they suddenly turned blue.

"This is the Yuktobanian 703rd Squadron. We heard the President's speech. We will fight with you!" spoke the flight lead before the squadron split apart and formed up around them.

Nagase's eyes widened in awe when this happened, Grimm looked from left to right with an equally baffled expression, while Cipher grew one of the biggest smiles he's ever had. Harling and Nikanor had done it.

Another Yuke pilot started to sing along with the whistling, followed by the rest of his squadron. Unable to stop himself, Grimm started whistling too, to the amusement of Snow and Cipher.

"Let us sing that song, too! We're going with you!"

"So are we."

A friendly Osean squadron of Raptors dropped down from their right and formed up to the left of them, growing their squadron even more and adding their voices to the singing of the song. Then a pair of F-16Cs came up from behind, slowing down right behind Snow and Grimm's jets. They started singing too, and giving in to spirit and joy emulating from the group, Snow, Nagase, and finally Cipher added their voices to the performance.

"La la la...to fly…thoughts endless in flight...day turns to night...questions you ask your soul…" they sang, strong and proudly united together for their cause.

A flight of Osean CH-47 Chinooks, six in total, then appeared on radar with their destination being Sudentor as well. The person in charge connected to the shared open channel and smiled as he looked up to the sky, speaking over the singing of all the soldiers contained inside his copter.

"This is the Osean First Fighter Wing. I just knocked out the Brigade Commander. We'd also like to help."

As they sang, more and more fighter pilots and army units joined the Razgriz on their mission, growing their force with each addition until they had filled the sky with their voices and the radars with their presence. Cipher stopped his singing in order to listen and take in the spectacle occurring around him, and he wished that Larry could be here right now to witness it with him.

Grimm flipped his plane around, happily singing with those around him, and Snow couldn't stop smiling with joy. Nagase was singing too, and she had to wipe away some tears of joy that fell from the corners of her eyes.

Then, for a brief moment, Cipher looked to the sky and thought that among the voices singing the anti-war song...he could hear the passionate voice of Chopper singing the loudest among all of them. Cipher smiled, closed his eyes, and offered a prayer to the late pilot and close friend. He knew he would've wanted to be here too.

"This is the Yuktobanian 172nd Fighter-Bomber squadron. We love that song too. We brought an AWACS with us!" spoke the flight lead for the last squadron to join them, a flight of Su-34 Fullback.

"La la la...listen to our beautiful voice!" spoke the AWACS they spoke of, the massive Beriev A-50 flying up behind the massive coalition squadron. "This is AWACS Oka Nieba. That would mean 'Sky Eye' in your language. We got a message from your boss, Pops! I'll patch it in."

While the rest of the pilots continued their singing, Cipher got Nagase, Snow and Grimm to quiet down over their personal channel before Oka Nieba patched in Pops to their HUDs and radios so that he could brief them.

"The SOLG just docked with the last cargo shipment from the mass driver. It may be fully operational soon."

"Well isn't that just fantastic." muttered Snow.

"The Andromeda has tracked down its transmission link. It's still coming from Schenze. I'll be briefing you, so pay attention."

A briefing window appeared on their HUDs and zoomed in on a map of Sudentor just when they were about to enter the city limits.

"We will attack the SOLG control system located in the giant tunnel under the Waldreich Mountains. The tunnel entrance is located at the foot of the mountains, and the entire area is covered by foothills and waterways. First, an armored force will try to move in from the city to infiltrate the wharf, where the entrance to the control system is located. There are several enemy defense positions built along the path the armored forces will take, so air support will be vital for the invasion."

The map highlighted the Osean helicopter squadron that proclaimed their allegiance earlier and highlighted their approach to the base of the mountain.

"Meanwhile, the helicopter formation will attack the control system entrance and capture the nearby area. Your squadron's mission is to protect the armored force and clear out a landing area for the heliborne fleet. Once secured, a Varyag commando team will open the shutters blocking the entrance. Go through the open entrance and destroy the SOLG control system from the inside. Good luck."

The in-flight briefing ended and Oka Nieba updated everyone's radars with the enemy units marked ahead in Sudentor, and quickly briefed every squadron leader of the plan. When he was done, Cipher coughed to gather everyone's attention now that they had stopped singing.

"Everyone here, you're all doing a righteous thing today. All of us here couldn't be any more thankful for your willingness to help us in this dire moment. So, for that, and in light of this situation, every single one of you today are no honorary members of Razgriz."

Cipher grinned when a collective cheer came from all of the Osean and Yuke forces gathered there with them was given back to him, and he laughed. He then set his sights on the first group of enemy AA units as they emerged from the clouds, Oka Nieba quickly rising up to get out of the combat area.

"Razgriz, engage!" he ordered loudly, the united squadron attacking the Belkan forces in Sudentor en masse and scoring several early kills right out of the gate.

The battle hadn't even started though before Pops got in touch with them again with the brand of bad news that really soured their mood.

"Razgriz, turns out Gründer Industries detected your approach and they asked for help from the warmongers still left in both Osea and Yuktobania. Said they'd hand over a third V1 tactical nuke in exchange."

"Are you serious?" growled Nagase after she destroyed a group of enemy tanks nearby.

"Well of course...offer anyone a weapon and they'll be eating out of the palm of your hands...pitiful." Snow replied, disgusted.

"They're hiding the more powerful V2 from them. Now listen, they're gonna be sending out fighter jets."

Pops briefed them as best as he could about the approaching threats before going dark again, the Razgriz attacking the forces of Gründer with a vengeance to try and take back what they lost with the sinking of the Kestrel. Allied ground forces from both Yuktobania and Osea, a majority from the latter, advanced through the city and fought grueling battles with Belkan defenders hired by the arms manufacturer to protect their experimental facility.

Nagase and Grimm eliminated a pair of AA gun packed defensive towers constructed along the wharf and lowered the defensive capabilities of the facility even more, enough for Oka Nieba to deem it safe enough for the helicopters to begin their run for the tunnel entrance.

"The Razgriz suppressed the AA guns for us, we're going now! Cover us as we land!"

Their allies in the air easily overwhelmed the few jets that Gründer had hired to defend the airspace, and it seemed the company would lose even more ground before several new air units appeared on radar speeding right for the city from the west.

"Don't worry about the Yuke fighters, get the Wardog Ghosts. Follow me, we're going to put an end to all wars once and for all!"

Cipher, Nagase, and Grimm all gasped when they heard the familiar voice come through on the radio. It was Hamilton in the flesh, the adjutant base commander from Sand Island. And judging by his voice, they could only assume one thing. He was either among or the leader of the Osean warmongers that were coming to the city to defeat all opposition and receive the V1 from Gründer.

Cipher scowled at what he thought had been a respectable man. He had lost all his respect when he had been a cause for their escape from Sand Island, and now the Osean had become dead to him.

"Whoa, Hamilton's here too…" murmured Grimm in awe.

"Be careful, he was trained by the Grabacr aggressors." Nagase cautioned when she spotted Hamilton's warmonger force enter the Sudentor airspace, her guess on his jet being the white and green MiG 1.44 leading the charge.

Yuke warmongers soon arrived as well, and the situation quickly devolved into a massive free-for-all above the skies of Sudentor as the warmongers attacked one another, save for the squadron under Hamilton's direct control, and the coalition forces too. The only thing keeping the friendly Yuke and Oseans from killing one another was the radar control over the IFF that Oka Nieba and his team exerted over the battlefield.

Cipher gave a silent thank you to the fighter-bomber squadron that had brought Oka Nieba with them, since his control and management were vital in keeping everyone safe from friendly fire. Especially since even now, there were more supporters for peace coming in to help with the attack on Gründer.

"This is the 112th Infantry Battalion. We were preparing to launch into Yuktobania, but the President's words convinced us to change our battle mission. Now commencing attack on the enemy facility!"

A well-defended sector within the city close to the wharf were suddenly assaulted by a huge concentration of Osean troops backed up by fully armed main battle tanks, the Abrams busting through their defenses with ease and raising hell within a matter of minutes. They pushed deeper and deeper into enemy territory, just as the choppers of the First Fighter Wing soared over head.

Then from their left came a squadron of Mi-24 Attack helicopters from Yuktobania, their missiles and guns sprayed the ground with fire and devastation that cleared the way for a direct assault on the experimental facility.

From above, even in the midst of shooting down Osean and Yuke warmongers, Cipher smiled joyfully at the cooperation that had bloomed all because of Harling and Nikanor.

"I just can't help myself...I'm tearing up inside at seeing all of us working together." said Grimm happily. "It's amazing!"

"You can say that again, Grimm!" responded Nagase with a smile.

"Ahh, just shoot down that lead plane and this will all be over!" shouted one of the Yuke warmongers when he watched Cipher shoot down three of his allies.

"They'll learn soon enough. Our ace can't be shot down!"

"Damn straight." smirked Cipher.

The battle entered a deadly new phase when faced with losses left and right, the warmongers on both sides became even more ruthless and violent, attacking anyone that got close to them because of their hunger for the V1.

"That nuke is ours, you dirty Osean vultures!"

"This is Osean territory now. We're not letting the Yukes have their way!"

"Haha, the guys that allied with the villains are biting at each other. Look at 'em, like a bunch of dogs from hell!" said Oka Nieba with a laugh.

Cipher slowly shook his head out of disdain for their terrible human nature, before he looked back to the ground and watched as Osean and Yuke ground forces charged the base of the mountain side by side, going through all sorts of hell in order to secure the entrance to the tunnel.

"Landing stations everyone, we'll take the facility from the roof!"

While this was all going on, an unknown figure watched through the scope of a sniper rifle from the roof of a skyscraper close to the wharf, his position giving him an entire view of the battlefield. He focused one one of the buildings that stood above the rest in Gründer's facility, looking through several windows into a brightly lit office room where the CEO of the whole company was talking with several other older men.

"I see them. Orders?"

" _Kill them. Everything has been set into motion already. They've served their purpose._ " responded a voice through his earpiece.

"Roger."

The man then slowed his breathing down and made slight adjustments to his scope to ensure when he pulled the trigger, the shots would fly straight and true through the air to hit their marks. Once that was done, he fired.

"The 1st Airborne Battalion has captured the roof of the control facility!"

Snow fist-pumped at the good news, while Cipher clapped his hands and laughed at their success despite the interference of the warmongers.

"Dammit. Looks like we really did open the gates of hell…" cursed Hamilton as he surveyed the battlefield. "How could we have come to this? It's them...they've dragged us all into this. The Wardog Ghosts, the Ghosts of Razgriz."

"The Ghosts of Razgriz…"

"Yeah, let's get 'em!"

"Get those bastards."

"Captain, they're all coming after me!" yelled Grimm when he got several warmongers on his tail, the same threat coming to Snow, Nagase and Cipher all at once.

"Dammit, they're starting to work together against us!"

Oka Nieba was quick to notice the change in the warmongers and he quickly relayed the information to the rest of the coalition forces.

"This is Oka Nieba. Listen up, everyone in the choir. The enemies are all going after the Razgriz at once."

"We've got you!"

"We'll protect them. Come on everyone!"

Friendly Yuke and Osean fighter jets soon came to the rescue, warding off the warmongers and protecting the four Razgriz fighters. Snow gave them his thanks as they continued to whittle away at Gründer's defenders, the end coming very close to being realized. Suddenly a bright flash of light consumed the earth close to the base of the mountains, followed by a deafening boom and surging shockwave that shook everyone in the air down to their bones.

"What the hell was that?!"

"It's the SOLG! The SOLG is firing on Sudentor!" yelled Cipher when another attack by the satellite devastated a portion of the wharf, consuming it in a massive explosion that tore through everything in its way and left behind a massive crater.

The entrance of the SOLG into the fray sent everyone into disarray for a few moments, several cries of reinforcements being cut off and others of devastation and terror sweeping through the city coming in through the radio, before Cipher yelled and pleaded for everyone to calm down and focus.

At the same time, Cipher let loose on the warmongers, dazzling everyone who was watching with his skill as a pilot and capability to perform seemingly impossible aerial maneuvers that led him to take down enemy after enemy in quick succession. A missile here, a burst of gunfire there, not a single enemy could even touch the ace. Not even Hamilton, who suffered some damage to one of his wings when he tried to pick a fight with the demon lord.

"Amazing! It's just, I can't even describe it! Just unbelievable!"

"He's the one, no doubt." exclaimed Snow. "The Ace of Aces!"

"Razgriz...the legends have come true." said a Yuke soldier on the ground as he and those around him watched the aerial fight above.

"We're opening the tunnel entrance, stand by!"

Cipher whipped his head around and watched as the huge shutters protecting the underground tunnel that led beneath Waldreich were slowly raised up little by little. It was at that time when Pops linked himself to them once again for a mission update that only just now came up.

"Razgriz, listen up. We've come across a blueprint of the tunnel facility on the Major's disc. The SOLG control system is in the deepest part of the tunnel; we can't reach it from the entrance. Fly into the tunnel, attack the control system in the deepest part of the complex and escape out the tunnel exit on the other side. This is extremely dangerous, but there's no other way to do this."

As Cipher groaned to himself at the thought of another tunnel flight that could be just like when he had to fly within the confines of the Avalon Dam fifteen years ago, the technical readout of the tunnel facility and its marked out targets appeared on his HUD.

"There are two central components to the control system. You must destroy them both, but you can only destroy one of them per attack run. Furthermore, the ground forces will not be able to keep the entrance shutters open for long. There's not enough time for you to go back into the tunnel again after the first run. So, a separate plane will be going in from the other side at the same time. We only have one chance. Synchronize your run with the second plane to attack both components simultaneously and destroy the SOLG control system. Make it count."

Pops ended the last in-flight briefing and Cipher glanced at Nagase when she formed up in her usual spot within their formation.

"Alright Razgriz, we've confirmed the opening of the tunnel as well. Are you ready?" asked Oka Nieba to the four pilots, who all responded with a resounding yes. "Very well, begin operation! Fly into the tunnel!"

They formed up nice and tight around Cipher and soared right into the tunnel, the ground forces cheering for them the whole way down until the air became silent around the Razgriz pilots. The entrance grew distant behind them, and they focused on what lay ahead of them so as to avoid crashing into the walls or anything they could encounter.

"A separate plane going in from the other side? How many pilots have we got that can even do something like that?" questioned Snow.

"I know one…" replied Nagase, smiling softly to herself. Cipher knew exactly who she was referring to, a certain grizzled firebrand of a flight lead that won't take no for an answer from anyone.

A second later a single enemy fighter was shown on radar following them into the tunnel behind them, gaining on them little by little.

"Enemy plane flying in from the rear. It's Hamilton! Damn, he is good." warned Grimm begrudgingly for the Osean's skill.

"You aren't getting away, Wardog! You're going to fly straight to your-!" growled Hamilton before a voice they all knew and loved interrupted the warmonger at the best time possible.

"This is Heartbreak One. I'm right in front of you guys, Kid. And let me tell you, seeing that white wasteland on the other side in Belka, it was awful!"

"You're alive, Bartlett?"

"You know, you've always been too damn serious Hamilton." jabbed Bartlett at the Osean, Cipher snorting a little to himself.

They flew deeper into the tunnel system, passing through several connecting rooms where there were other diverging tunnel routes, as the shutter doors protecting each section were opened up.

"I'm going to take the Belkan nuke and terrify both sides into ending this foolish war. Don't get in my way!" snarled the enraged Hamiln.

"The problem with you is that you can't tell the difference between friend and foe. Terror is not your friend!" barked back Bartlett just as Cipher and company emerged from the tunnel out in the control center chamber, one of the SOLG control systems right in front of them.

"Do it Captain!"

"Cipher!"

He launched a pair of missiles and, soaring straight and true, struck the control system and destroyed it right when Bartlett destroyed his on the other side. Loud alarms began sounding off within the tunnel system as they yawed right and entered a wider tunnel that was revealed to them by the opening of large shutter doors.

"Target neutralized!"

"This is Heartbreak One! I destroyed the system core on my end." replied Barlett despite being muffled slightly by the alarms.

"This is Archer. Captain Bartlett is approaching us at high speed from our twelve o'clock! Is he going to…"

"We gotta do it." said Snow, stopping Grimm from finishing.

"I'll be passing you by head on at full speed, alright? Break right on the count of three." said Bartlett as they got closer and closer, their respective indicators on radar flying right for one another.

Hamilton had appeared behind them, having managed to catch up, and was attempting to lock on to Snow by getting as close as possible to them to assure he'd score a kill. At the same time, Bartlett had a pair of Su-47 Berkuts being flown by Grey Men operatives pursuing him as well.

"One...two...three!" yelled Bartlett before his jet zoomed past Cipher, an F-14A Tomcat. "Yaaaahooo!"

Cipher laughed out loud with Snow at the captain's cry and they were met by the two Berkuts chasing him, a quick missile by Nagase destroying one while Grimm sprayed the cockpit of the other with his gun and sent it hurtling erratically past them. He glanced back to watch it for a moment and unbeknownst to the others, it smashed right into Hamilton's plane and created a huge fireball as the two jets fell out of the air like a meteor.

Grimm laughed again before he had to focus on staying right beside Cipher as they made their escape from the tunnels, the shutters now closing and turning it into a race against time.

"There it is!" said Nagase as they climbed a tunnel incline, the exit just within their grasp.

The sky outside in Belka was dark, and as the final shutter door was close to shutting them in and trapping them, all four pilots almost skid across the snowy ground before rising high up into the sky over the desolate landscape just beyond the Waldreich Mountains.

They celebrated and cheered among themselves before Nagase looked back once, then down at her radar, seeing the absence of Hamilton who had been chasing him.

"Where's Hamilton?" she asked, Grimm gleefully responding.

"He's dead. Hit by a ricocheting plane."

"Serves the bastard right." Cipher said with a smirk.

Their mission done, and the war's end seemingly now here, the four raised their altitude even more and turned around to make the return trip back to Sudentor.

 **^^^^Emergency Transmission from Central^^^^**

STORM AND LIGHTNING CEASED  
STAR CONFIRMED SILENCED


	33. The Unsung War

A/N Here we go boys and girls, almost there! Get EXCITED!  
Leave a favorite and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 31 - The Unsung War**

 _As the demon sleeps, man turns on man_

 _His own blood and madness soon cover the earth_

 _From the depths of despair awaken the Razgriz_

 _Its raven wings ablaze in majestic light_

* * *

"The SOLG's descent was detected by our radar at 1500 hours yesterday. We believe it was programmed to automatically descend if control was ever cut off from the surface. We have calculated the SOLG's course of descent from its previous orbit...its estimated point of return is downtown Oured, the capital of Osea. Get to the SOLG's descent point as soon as possible and destroy it before it hits Oured. You must complete this mission and come back alive. Anything less is unacceptable. Razgriz, we wish you the best of luck. Launch."

 **\- Oured, Southeastern Osea -**

 **\- January 1st, 2011 0246 hrs -**

Cipher hopped out of the black SUV with Nagase, Grimm and Snow, having stopped on the barren stretch of highway within the city that government officials had totally closed off to use as a makeshift runway. It would take too long to take their jets to Oured Air Force Base, so the decision was made by Harling himself to use the highway as the next best option.

Lined up one by one, right behind each other, were their pitch black Tomcats, ready to be flown for what had to be their final mission. Huge spot lights were shining down on them from a nearby skyscraper, so they could see where they were going when they took off.

Cipher looked at Nagase, Snow, and Grimm, and they all nod their heads in mutual agreement. No words had to be said to describe what they were feeling as they went to their own jets and climbed up into the cockpit. The only difference that Cipher saw on his was that instead of the red color that their jets had gotten ever since they became the Razgriz, his had been replaced with a navy blue, and his aircraft number had been changed to the same number he had fifteen years prior.

"Damn...032…" Cipher smiled as he picked up the sticky note plastered on the altimeter. "Bartlett, you son of a bitch…"

He moved the note aside and put his flight helmet on, turned on the engines and waited for everything to power on before giving a thumbs up to the man on their right, who quickly got everyone out of the way.

"Your final sortie...it's almost kinda sad, huh?" asked the flight controller from central command.

"Yeah…" said Cipher. He didn't want to say that he may go off somewhere else after the war ended, since a heart he was a mercenary that liked to fight.

"Alright, launch preparations are complete. Launch!"

Cipher pushed the throttle forward and his jet began to roll down the highway, gaining speed with each passing second, before he reached the adequate take off velocity and took to the darkened early morning skies of Oured.

Nagase, Grimm and Snow soon joined him and they flew in formation out towards the serene looking Oured Bay, the city growing smaller behind them.

"Good luck out there, Razgriz!"

"We'll be back before you know it." replied Cipher with a grin.

Grimm looked up and he saw the faint outline of a larger plane higher up in the sky, and he smiled when their newfound friend and AWACS spoke up over the radio to talk with them.

"This is Oka Nieba, hurry to the target area. The later you get there, the less time you'll have to attack the SOLG. The SOLG will descend to a vulnerable altitude in five minutes."

"Roger that, we'll take care of it."

They all pushed their throttles to the max, the afterburners going into full as they all sped up reach the target area in order to stop the SOLG. Every one of them had seen the devastation it could cause with its kinetic energy weaponry back over Sudentor, and they were ecstatic to have rendered such a weapon inoperable, but hearing about its descent towards Oured had really put a dampener on their moods.

It was a cowardly act, to program such a fail-safe into the SOLG. He hoped that the men responsible for such a thing would get the justice that they've earned for themselves.

The flight was silent except for the reminder about there being only four minutes left from Oka Nieba, and it wasn't until there were three minutes and twenty seconds left that another voice he hadn't heard in a while make its comeback.

"These fighters are definitely the Razgriz."

"Blaze, it's-"

"Oka Nieba to the Ghosts of Razgriz. New enemy planes on radar, it's a double Belkan formation...Ofnir and Grabacr."

 **\- Oured Bay, Southeastern Osea -**

 **\- 03°57'35"N 232°15'31"E -**

 **\- January 1st, 2011 0248 hrs -**

Eight enemies then appeared on radar speeding right for them, and when Cipher was able to see them he noticed their jets looked eerily familiar in build to the Belkan Su-47. He didn't think too much about that though, the fight about to occur was more pressing. And just thinking about facing both Belkan squadrons at one, all of its members being veterans of the Belkan War, it made him smile gleefully.

"We will restore the pride we had fifteen years ago!" announced one of the Belkans before the two squadrons attacked the Razgriz pilots all at once with a swarm of QAAM missiles.

"It's time to settle this, evil ravens!"

"Eight tough enemies...my heart's racing! My whole body's shaking!" said Grimm before two of the Ofnir fighters got right onto his tail. "They're already on me!"

"I've got you Grimm! Fox two!" exclaimed Snow as he locked on and fired, his missile only causing the Belkans to dive away for a moment.

The air battle turned even more grueling when the Ofnir squadron leader gave the order to take them on two on one, since they had the perfect numerical advantage to do so. Cipher grunted when he felt a few stray bullets scrape his left wing, but he only grinned as he kept the facade up for a little while longer.

"You shall fall to your deaths and lead the way for the SOLG as it smashes into the earth!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that…"

The Belkans were caught off guard by Cipher's direct comment to Grabacr's leader, and at first they didn't know how to respond before Ofnir's leader took the baton to do so.

"Silence, demon!"

"Oh, I'm not just some demon...I'm _the_ demon. I flew those very skies you all did fifteen years ago, and not a single damn Belkan ace could challenge me. Hell, I even remember shooting you both down...Grabacr One, Ofnir One. Or should I say Michael, and Ashley?"

The two Belkans he called out were shocked at how he so readily could produce their names, something that they felt no one outside of their closest allies knew about them. There had been Huckebein, and their first assumption could be that he could have told him about them. But that thought had been pushed aside when Cipher had said he was the one that had shot them down.

That could mean he had been the one to shoot them down during their previous encounters, but no, he had said he'd been there in the war fifteen years ago. And the only time they had been shot down then was one time only.

They only realized who it was when Cipher pulled an unbelievable maneuver with his Tomcat in order to shoot down the two Belkan pilots pursuing them mercilessly, finally revealing his true colors.

"No way…"

"That's impossible...you can't be him!"

"Try me." snarled Cipher.

The mask was then fully removed and he unleashed his true power upon the unsuspected Belkan pilots, Nagase, Grimm and Snow letting their flight lead do just that. The three of them only helped keep any other fighters away from Cipher when he went after his prey.

"Let us be blessed with glory as we cross the gates of hell!" announced a Belkan pilot before his burning jet smashed into the bay waters, killing him instantly.

Cipher turned right to avoid a pair of missiles from behind, and grinned when Nagase dropped down right behind the Belkan who had fired at him and sprayed the enemy jet's right wing with gunfire. He spiraled out of control, unable to right his aircraft, before she ended his life with a missile straight to the fuselage.

They had lost four planes in a matter of moments, Oka Nieba telling the Razgriz he had two and a half minutes left.

"Dammit, another plane down...and to think it's because he's the goddamn Demon Lord…!" snarled Michael.

"Pupils of Huckebein! We will decide once and for all who is superior!" Ashley announced before he and his remaining allies, including Michael, joined together to take on the Razgriz as one squadron.

Cipher could see how blinded they were by their lust for revenge, but he couldn't deny that they certainly were among the best Belkan pilots he had ever fought against. His alert siren sounded off and he dove away, a growl coming from Ashley when his attack on the Demon Lord failed, only fueling his rage.

They had arrived to protect the SOLG and to kill the Razgriz, all in order to restore some sense of pride in themselves and in their broken country. Even now, after learning that the Razgriz was led by the Demon Lord himself, they didn't care that it was a suicide mission. If it killed them, they wanted to burn their legacy into the souls of the Razgriz and make them never forget them.

Cipher smirked as the enraged Michael tried desperately to shoot him down, failing time after time, until Cipher juked him out and performed a half-kulbit maneuver. Michael's eyes widened by how easily the former mercenary had took advantage of him, and his body just froze up on him. For the first time in his life, he felt fear grip his heart and not let go.

"Boom." Cipher fired a missile straight into the cockpit of the Belkan's jet fighter, blowing it apart into fire and smoke.

"Michael! Dammit!" swore Ashley, the remaining Ofnir fighter cursing out Cipher under his breath.

With three fighters left the determined Belkans didn't give up in their suicidal fight against the Razgriz, Snow gritting his teeth during his relentless pursuit of the other Grabacr fighter until he finally found his chance and took it.

"Fox two!"

"We'll haunt you for eternity! Aauugh!" The Belkan's scream was cut off with static when his jet exploded upon getting struck, the fuel ignited by Snow's missile producing a huge fireball.

"This battle is over! Accept your defeat!"

"We will never give in!" replied the final Ofnir pilot before he was suddenly killed by a joint attack from Grimm and Nagase.

Now it was just Ashley against four Razgriz pilots, and to his credit, he didn't give up until the very end. Despite the four of them chasing him, the Belkan managed to avoid every single attack with extraordinary skill, with Cipher being the only pilot managing to score little hits on him every so often with his gun.

Cipher was only testing the water, seeing just how long he could hold out when he was taking them all on by his own. He grinned, toying with his prey could be so rewarding sometimes. After another failed attempt to shoot down Ashley, he decided it was time and took the pursuit seriously, not letting him breath for even a moment.

Ashley couldn't shake him off, no matter how many maneuvers he tried, and in the end he finally made that one mistake Cipher was waiting for. A call out and a single missile was all it took to shear off half of Ashley's jet and send it plunging towards the water below.

"I...I never thought you'd be this good…" His last words were full of defeat, before it was replaced with static and a few seconds later he was killed upon the detonation of his jet.

"All enemy planes destroyed." Oka Nieba announced, the Razgriz quickly forming back up to continue on for the descent point of the SOLG.

The battle had distracted them from their mission, and in that short span of time they hadn't even noticed that the sun had started to peek over the horizon and cast its gentle morning light over the waters of Oured Bay, and the city of Oured itself.

"In just a few hours...the light of the east will come." said Nagase with a soft smile.

"Our night flight is almost over." added Grimm. "I can't wait to see it...the most beautiful sunrise ever."

"And the sun will continue to rise, now and forever."

Cipher chuckled to himself as he leaned back in his flight seat and just took in everything around him. The calm night skies overhead, the twinkling stars, and the company of the three pilots he had the pleasure of knowing throughout this entire war. He wished that Chopper was there, and he was certain that Nagase and Grimm thought so too. He deserved to have seen the war through from beginning to end, so that he could see this sunrise too.

"I just remembered...my birthday's coming up next week." said Grimm happily when the revelation hit him.

"See? Aren't you glad you're still alive?"

"I bet my mom will be happy to see my brother come back home from Yuktobania."

"You oughta go make her happy too." replied Snow. "We're almost done here."

Snow then turned his attention to Cipher's jet at the front of the formation, smiling still. "Captain, I want to thank you."

"For what?" Cipher asked.

"Flying as a wingman again, I now know how my wingmen felt when we were serving on the Kestrel."

Silence once again came back over the four pilots as the timer struck the final minute until the satellite reaches its vulnerable altitude, and already they could see the hulking construct of war in the sky falling towards them.

It was huge, and it was a little hard to imagine such a weird looking satellite could cause so much havoc and death. Inside of that barrel was the V2 that the Grey Men had loaded into it in order to enact their final vengeance on either Yuktobania or Osea. If they destroyed the SOLG, then the V2 would be lost too, and their hope would be that such a terrifying weapon would never be used again.

"I vowed to myself that I would never lose another flight lead...and that's what kept my flying until now. So please, Cipher-"

"Alek."

Nagase was a little confused when Cipher had suddenly interrupted her, but when he repeated himself earnestly, she understood what he meant by the name and smiled.

"Please, Alek...let me fly as your wingman just a little longer." she asked again softly, Cipher about to reply to her before Oka Nieba interjected in their tender moment to draw them back to their mission.

"The SOLG has fallen to an altitude low enough for you to attack. I know you can do this. Destroy it!"

"Let's go guys! It's time to finish this!"

With Cipher in the lead, the four man squadron raised their altitudes and came up behind the massive satellite along the length of the barrel. They were finally able to see for themselves what the SOLG looked like, and they were slightly baffled by its unique design. Extending out from the back of the barrel were four large auto-loading magazines, the pilots able to see the KEW rounds stored inside through the structure, which rotated counterclockwise along the barrel's axis. Behind them were four counterweights that rotated clockwise, which helped to stabilize the barrel of the massive satellite by the usage of centripetal force. Between the counterweights and auto-loader units were four stationary modules that housed the satellite's critical systems, which were powered by six sets of three solar panels affixed to the barrel.

Not knowing where to begin, Oka Nieba came to the rescue yet again with much-needed information that came from their most trusted source.

"I've received a data link from your guy, Pops, with the SOLG's structural details. The SOLG's electrical and vulnerable systems are contained in modules located directly behind the four counterclockwise auto-loading magazines, right before the counterweights. The only way to destroy them is by firing through the gaps between the magazines and the counterweights!"

"Roger, AWACS! Shoot away the solar panels first, they're in the way!"

Cipher split the flight up and they started to whittle away at the massive satellite, the fragile solar panels breaking away easily and threatening the pilots as fragments when they fell away. Grimm skillfully flew around one of the panels while Snow shot his way through another, splitting it apart and flying between the two halves.

"I'm not going to be done in by some falling fragments! Let's do this Grimm!"

"Roger!"

More of the solar panels fell away until the last one was destroyed by Nagase, leaving clear shooting lanes for the core systems like Oka Nieba had said. The gaps were small and were constantly blocked by the other components of the SOLG, so Cipher thought to make it easier on themselves by tasking Grimm and Nagase with attacking the core parts when the opportunity came, and telling Snow that they would try to remove the obstacles in the way.

Using the powerful SAAM missiles their Tomcats carried, Snow and Cipher focused on the locking joints that kept the autoloading magazines connected to the SOLG's barrel. It took several hits from both of them to finally sever one of them from the SOLG, the massive structural component hurling towards them until they flew around it.

"Whoa! That was a close one!" said Cipher with a laugh. "Now for the others! Nagase, Grimm, how's it going?"

"Core element one destroyed, Captain!" replied Grimm when an explosion rocked the SOLG after they destroyed the first of four.

"All that's left of their hatred is right before us…"

"And it's our job to do away with it!"

"Remember those craters in the Belkan mainland?" asked Grimm as he fired a SAAM missile at the second core component. "Don't let it happen again!"

Grimm's attack missed, but when Snow and Cipher removed another one of the autoloading magazines, Nagase destroyed the second core system and damaged the SOLG even further with another fiery explosion.

"I can still move, I can still fly!"

"We're gonna do this! Just believe in yourselves!" declared Snow, continuing his assault. "I'm not through yet! This is for all my men who fell before me!"

"We have the hearts of thousands backing us, and the lives of so many more in front of us!"

Cipher looked at every single one of his wingmen and he couldn't feel any more prouder to fly with such passionate pilots. It was so moving to hear their words that he actually had to wipe a few tears away from the corner of his eyes, and he laughed happily.

"Guys, I wouldn't trade any of this for the world. Flying with all of you...I'll cherish these memories forever!"

Leaving the rest of the SOLG along, they all focused their attacks on the remaining two core systems, their attacks further damaging the satellite until finally damaging it enough that when they were destroyed, the doors that kept the barrel closed off malfunctioned and opened up. Cipher pulled back and he could see clear down the barrel into the firing chamber, where he could see the single V2 missile locked and loaded inside.

"This war, this 'Unsung War', it ends today! Fox two!"

Cipher locked onto the V2 missile and fired a single missile right down the barrel before pulling rapidly away from the satellite with his squadron to retreat and enjoy the fireworks.

The city of Oured was silent, its denizens sleeping peacefully in their own beds until they were due to rise and begin their day in several hours. A pigeon fluttered its wings and settled down on an isolated lamppost, chirping once and looking toward the darkened night sky.

Suddenly a bright white light flashed and a massive explosion filled up the night sky with its brilliance, a deafening boom echoing over the city, washing over ever building and soaring down every single street. Flaming fragments of the SOLG began raining down like meteors toward Oured Bay, and just outside of the explosion radius flew the four aces of Razgriz.

"Yeah! They did it! Kid actually did it!" cried Bartlett as he laughed out loud with the Major by his side, Nikanor and Harling clapping behind them.

"It's finally over my friend." said Nikanor as he turned toward his Osean counterpart, Harling doing the same and nodding.

"Indeed."

They gladly shook hands with one another before embracing, thankful that their efforts had led to the final conclusion of such a brutal war that consumed both of their countries. Everyone in central command was cheering at the victory of the Razgriz over the SOLG, papers flying everywhere as they chanted the name of their heroes over and over again.

"Hear that? They're cheering for us." remarked Cipher with a smile. "Be sure to soak it all in guys...moments like these come about rarely in our lives."

Bartlett laughed a little more before the Major's phone rang in her pocket and she took it out, holding it up to her ear and greeting whoever was calling her in Yuke. She listened for another moment and her expression turned serious.

"Prime Minister, we have an update from the Varyag squads in Sudentor. They've found the Belkan Grey Men, including the CEO of Gründer Industries."

"Good. What's their status? Have they been apprehended?"

The Major slowly shook her head and Bartlett looked at her, Harling doing the same with an expectant look.

"Nastasya…?" asked Bartlett.

"They're all dead. A single bullet hole in each person's head. Judging by the entry points and damage in the windows of the room they were in, the conclusion they came to was that it was by assassination."

"What?"

"The bullets they retrieved were recovered by a ballistics analyst and they determined they were fired from a Belkan made DSR-Precision GmbH DSR-1 sniper rifle, made exclusively for the Belkan Army and not used anywhere else outside of Belka."

Nikanor and Harling were baffled, while Barttlet had to raise a hand up and put a hand on his hip to get a grasp on the situation.

"Okay, so what you're saying is that these Belkan bastards were assassinated by someone who used an exclusive Belkan weapon? How the hell does that relate?"

"Only a Belkan would be trained to use a Belkan-exclusive sniper rifle." said Nastasya. "That would mean whoever assassinated the Grey Men was Belkan."

"But...why would a Belkan assassinate other Belkans?" questioned Nikanor.

"It...could be the same reason why an Osean fighter squadron of Raptors would engage and attack Kid's squadron as they were rescuing Nicolai from the Avalon Dam."

Harling, Nikanor and Nastasya all looked at him when he revealed the startling news. He went through a brief explanation of how he had known about it, since it had been Cipher himself who told him when they met up again. Harling was shocked, and Nikanor was even more confused then before.

"Yeah, I know. How the hell did an Osean squadron get into the center of Nord Belka, right? Well, the only thing I remember from Kid is that he fought against some rouge organization that had members from all sorts of countries…"

Up in the sky, Cipher was enjoying the time flying with his squadron after their victory over the forces of revenge. They were about to return back to the city and face whatever would come into their lives next before the radio made a funky sounding noise before a voice, one so cold and unforgiving that it almost sounded like it came from a machine and not a human being.

It was a voice that Cipher thought he would never, ever have to hear again.

"What is it that you hope to achieve on the battlefield, Demon Lord?"


	34. The Gate to the New World

A/N DUN DUN DUN PLOT TWIST! Returners know what happens, but the new readers, enjoy the ride.  
Leave a favorite and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 32 - The Gate to the New World**

 **The gate to the new world has been opened**

 **My soul shall be the wind that enters the gate**

 **When the sleeping king awakes, my body, too, shall surely rise.**

* * *

Cipher slowly glanced over his shoulder, a chill running up and down his spine while a cold sweat began to develop as memories previously thought to be suppressed began to surface once again from the deepest recesses of his mind. What he saw, and what Nagase, Grimm and Snow soon saw too when they turned their heads, was a storm that Oured didn't even know was coming.

Filling the skies behind them was a massive aerial invasion force, filled mostly with fighter jets of Osean, Belkan, Sapin and even Yuktobanian origin. In the back of the huge combined squadron were bombers that could easily be assumed were full of bombs ready to be dropped on their targets.

Then from the midnight haze over the water emerged ship after ship after ship, all of them flying the flags of their respective nation, but working in tandem for one goal and one goal alone. They were going to invade the capital.

And at the very tip of the spear was the very man whom Cipher wished he'd never have to meet again. Leading a squadron of seven Su-47 Berkuts with the very same paint job he remembered they had fifteen years prior was the man who spoke. The jet fighter he flew was one that he had never seen before, it's body larger then anything he'd ever fought against with huge engines and a futuristic design with no visible cockpit save for a series of bright red lights fixed where the cockpit should be.

"No...no fucking way...you're supposed to be dead!" stuttered Cipher, Nagase looking at him when they heard fear for the first time from their flight lead's voice.

"Not likely." replied the individual in the unknown jet. "You should know better than anyone that Belkan pilots do not go down so easily, Demon Lord."

Grimm shuddered at the man's cold voice while Snow cringed, a shiver running up and down his spine too. Whoever this guy was, he knew who Cipher was right off the bat without even asking questions, and that whoever he was that he was enough of a big deal that it made Cipher afraid.

"Captain, who is he? What's going on?!" pleaded Grimm.

Cipher grit his teeth and blinked to get the sweat out of his eyes before he checked his ammunition count and gripped the flight stick tightly.

"Captain, please!"

"Form up behind me, we need to defend the city. Oka Nieba, alert central command and try to get us some reinforcements!"

"Roger, be careful Razgriz. The amount of unknown enemies on radar is off the charts."

Snow, Grimm and Nagase followed Cipher's orders and they flew straight forward to meet the overwhelming enemy head on and delay them for as long as possible while Oured Air Force base could work on getting their squadrons into the air.

"Kill the Demon Lord and his followers. The mission does not change."

Cipher, Nagase, Grimm and Snow went all in against the unknown enemy, dodging a swarm of missiles and bursts of gunfire left and right in taking them all head on. Cipher could hardly hear through the missile alert sirens filling his cockpit, but that didn't stop him from scoring kill after kill despite the overwhelming odds.

Nagase, Grimm and Snow stayed right behind him, scoring their own kills when they could, all the while the man watched from his jet fighter through the use of honeycomb-like projection inside.

"He's just as good as he was fifteen years ago, if not better…" he muttered to himself. "Very interesting…"

He continued to watch them fruitlessly attempt to shoot down the onslaught of enemies before the second wave of his force entered the airspace, a tiny grin spreading across his face because of it.

"I suggest you give up now, Demon Lord. There's no hope of you winning."

Cipher turned his head in the middle of a maneuver and paled at the sight of the massive beast flying through the air towards them, its escort of fifty or more fighters leading the way. He'd only seen the giant aircraft once before in his life, and it was when he had shot it down over the Waldreich Mountains.

"Captain, what is that?!" stammered Nagase when she finally saw the behemoth coming for them. It made its presence known by firing a swarm of missiles from its massive wings, forcing he Razgriz to retreat back towards Oured while dodging missiles from enemy planes and the behemoth too.

"Remember us, Demons? We're back!"  
The flight of four Raptors they had encountered over Avalon and during their attack on the Arkbird emerged from the swarm, personally chasing them with ruthless intent.

"It's them, the jets from before! What're they doing here?" questioned Snow, Cipher growling more as the situation grew worse with each passing moment.

He could see the allied fighters from Oured Air Force Base approaching their position, but even with their help he wasn't able to see them making it through this. So like many times before this one, he had to make a tough decision that he knew his wingmen wouldn't like to hear.

"We aren't going to be able to win."

"Captain?"

"I'm sorry, everyone, we have to retreat. We have to get out while we still can, or we're going to die here."

"Cipher? Cipher, what's going on? Are you saying-"

"We have to leave Oured behind." said Cipher, mentally punching himself in the mouth. "If we stay here, I don't know if I will be able to protect all of you!"

Nagase, Grimm and Snow were silenced by his cry, and after a few moments of silent deliberation within themselves they had to accept the reality and painfully agreed to the plan to escape Oured. The situation wasn't like November City, the enemy force had entirely too much power in numbers, and Cipher was right to say that their future was uncertain.

With their silence, Cipher assumed that was their way of agreeing, so he quickly looked up towards the sky and hoped that Oka Nieba would be able to get out as well when he gave the order.

"Oka Nieba, this is the Razgriz. We're retreating from the airspace. We're low on ammunition and the enemy numbers are far greater then we can handle. I advise you retreat from the airspace as well."

"...Negative. The allied fighters from Oured Air Force base that will cover your escape will need my overwatch."

"Don't be stupid, you might get shot down!"

"That doesn't matter. My duty is to ensure that my allies have the proper AWACS coverage, even if that means my death. Now go! You can't fall here!"

Cipher growled and Snow cursed under his breath before they turned tail and quickly disengaged from the airspace, the man in the unknown jet fighter watching them go before he saw his forces fly to engage the oncoming Osean fighters. They were insignificant compared to his forces, so he allowed them to be taken care of and instead moved his attention to the city itself.

There was someone he had to see again. The man flew his jet calmly past the Osean fighters engaged with his forces, his squadron silently following behind him all the way to Oured Air Force Base. By then, the fleet under his command had begun shore bombardment of the base and left it a complete mess, save for the runway. Once he landed his jet the cockpit opened up via two hatches overhead and he climbed out, dropping down onto the ground and glancing around a few times before taking a stroll towards where he figured the vehicles would be.

A hangar that exploded nearby hardly phased him, and once he reached one of the parked vehicles that wasn't wrecked, he opened the door and climbed inside. A simple fix and a short hotwire later he was driving away towards Oured. An amused expression spread across his face at the panic arising within the city, the air raid sirens in full swing because of the invasion force heading straight towards them.

He knew his way through the city easily enough, he'd spent a few days studying the layout of the city in order to memorize his route from the air base to his final destination.

"Land Ford Federal Prison…" the man murmured upon parking in front of the imposing building.

He climbed out of the vehicle and calmly approached the front entrance, two somewhat nervous looking guards protecting it. They had their hands on their holstered firearms and the man made note of it as he walked, his attack strategy drafting itself in a matter of moments.

Before the two guards could even say a word the man hunched over and sprinted towards the one on the left and incapacitated him with only a few punches to the groin and jaw. The other guard had only just barely pulled out his pistol before the man grabbed the firearm from his friend as he fell and shot him in each kneecap, dropping him to the ground.

"Stay put." the man said coldly before he shot the man's radio on his hip, rendering him incapable of warning those inside.

As soon as he stepped foot inside the man went on a spree inside, badly injuring and incapacitating anyone that got in his way during his search for one particular person he had in mind. Eventually he found his way to solitary confinement and walked inside, scanning the empty cells left and right until he finally found the one he was looking for. In the years since the war fifteen years ago, his hair had grayed in some areas and there were now wrinkles on his face, particularly below his eyes, and instead of the goatee he'd developed a beard that he had trimmed every other day to keep it in check.

He had a reputation among the prisoners as being one of the most well-learned among them, a connoisseur of literature who constantly visited the library when he was allowed outside of solitary. Even some of the guards had taken a liking to him. It was a shame though that he was involved in one of the most infamous terror plots ever conceived as one of the founders of a rebel organization that threatened to kill hundreds of thousands.

"Bristow." the man said, the one inside the cell slowly lifting his head up.

"Are you the one causing all the ruckus outside?"

"Not particularly, but I want to ask you a question." The man gripped the bars of the cage and bent them considerably, opening a gap for him to step out. "Do you wish to be in the air once again?"

Meanwhile, Cipher and the Razgriz were about to leave the confines of Oured Bay when Grimm took one last look back at Oured, the hulking visage of that giant flying behemoth still visible even in the night sky."

"Where are we going to go, Captain?"

"I know a place Grimm, don't worry." He frowned as he looked ahead towards the horizon. "We're not giving up on Oured...we'll be back. And we're going to bring hell with us."

 **\- Valais Air Base, Eastern Ustio -**

 **\- 20°04'08"N 239°31'24"E -**

 **\- January 1st, 2011 0410 hrs -**

"So this is…"

"Yep. Everyone...welcome to Valais Air Base. My home during the Belkan War, and the home of the UAF's 6th Air Division."

Cipher smiled as he introduced his old home base as they passed over the Tyrann Mountains, the snowy home of the military installation, and were cleared for landing. He could already see dozens of people running out of the buildings and hangars towards the runway to see their hero and best fighter pilot return home.

Once he touched down and came to a halt, he was led to a hangar by the ground personnel along with Nagase, Grimm, and Snow.

"Cipher!" exclaimed Crow One when he ran up to Cipher after he had exited his jet, the smile he had vanishing when he saw his expression.

"Where's the base commander?"

When he got his answer he quickly jogged out of the hangar, Nagase seeing him and going after him too. Grimm and Snow glanced at one another and dropped their helmets into their cockpits, then ran after their friends as well, to the befuzzlement of those around them. Cipher reached the entrance to the main building and threw the door open, only to run right into Larry as he was about to walk outside with Nicolai.

"Whoa, hey buddy! Watch where you're-huh? Cipher?" he asked, changing his tune upon recognizing him.

"Everyone? What are you all doing here?" asked Nicolai when the others stopped behind Cipher.

"We've got a problem. A big, big problem."

Several minutes of explaining to Larry, Nicolai, James and the base commander followed afterwards and when Cipher finished speaking for the four of them, Larry was leaning forward with his hands on the sides of his head with a look of depravity on his face.

"Jesus H. Christ…" he muttered.

"To think after all these years...he was still alive, and preparing such a force to invade Oured…" said James, shaking his head slowly from side to side. Part of him still couldn't believe it, but seeing their expressions made it impossible to think it wasn't true.

"So let me get this straight. Those bastards are the same ones from the war fifteen years ago that you defected to?" questioned Snow, looking at Larry. "Can't you reason with them?"

"Like that would work with Kupchenko. Once he has his mind set on something, there's no stopping him."

"Kupchenko?" asked Grimm. "Who is that? Is that the..."

Cipher sighed and rubbed his hands together from where he sat, looking down at his feet when he had to bring up his memories about the man in order to tell them just who they were dealing with.

"Anton Kupchenko was a Belkan Ace who led the Belkan Air Force 18th Air Division, 5th Tactical Fighter Squadron 'Gault'. He's the guy we told you about over Avalon when we were rescuing Nicolai...the founder of the A World With No Boundaries. He was a genius too, with background in science, technology and engineering. Every single pilot within the squadron was like him too."

"He was the brains behind Belka's Project Pendragon." added Larry as a reminder. "They created the Excalibur Laser System and the XB-0 Hresvelgr."

"The worst thing is that he's supposed to be dead. I fought him myself over B7R during the Belkan War…" muttered Cipher. "I shot down his entire squadron. And to give you guys an idea, to this day...they remain as some of the most deadliest enemies I've ever faced."

"Up there with the likes of me in the ADFX-02 Morgan."

Cipher raised a hand when Larry mentioned the name of the super fighter, locking gazes with him.

"About that...Larry. The jet that Kucphenko was flying...it looked like a stealthier version of the Morgans both you and I flew. It had a giant body like them, with the two large engines and forward swept wings. But it looked like it had no cockpit whatsoever, just these lights around where one would be."

"I don't know anything about it...sorry."

They sat in silence at a loss of what to do with all of this new information before the door to the briefing room was opened, Crow One poking his head inside with a deeply disturbed expression.

"Guys...you should come and see this.

They followed Crow One down the hall to the break room, where they had to swim through a crowd of people to make it inside and look at one of the TVs for a broadcast that was coming directly from Oured through the OBC news network. It wasn't a reporter that was speaking though, it was something far worse.

"People of the world, heed my call. I am a veteran of the Belkan War that everyone tries so desperately to forget, and I am one of many who became enlightened to the corruption of our militaries and politicians who allowed for such atrocities as the burning of Hoffnung and Seven Pillars."

Nagase hugged herself and shuddered at how empty Kupchenko's voice sounded through the broadcast, the screen completely black save for the usual headlines scrolling along the bottom of the screen and the OBC marker in the bottom right hand corner.

Cipher put a hand on Nagase's shoulder to provide her with some comfort, and she accepted it by standing a little closer to him.

"This is why I decided to create A World With No Boundaries. This world we live in has become disillusioned, corrupt, and full of greedy politicians who wage pathetic wars with one another over the stupidest of reasons. It must change, the slate must be wiped clean, the timer reset. We have captured the Osean capital, and it shall be the staging ground for the endgame. While you have been occupied with the petty war between two nations undeserving of their rights as superpowers and as leaders of the world, we have been preparing for this moment. Mt. Schirm has been emptied, the table has been set."

Kupchenko paused before the screen finally turned on, showing a news feed of an unknown location that appeared to be the inside of a launch facility for ICBMs. And lined up in a row within eight silos were V2 missiles, steam rolling out from beneath their ignition boosters and cables hanging from the cylindrical bodies.

"The gate to the new world shall be opened. Join me, on the eleventh hour, as our souls past through that gate. And once we are gone, the next generation that shall emerge from the fire and brimstone will learn from what we leave behind."

The screen then went black again, save for a bright red digital countdown timer that started at two and a half hours, then began to count down second by second.

Everyone inside and crowed in the hallway after hearing the ominous broadcast stood motionless, the tension in the air so think that someone could reach up and physically grab it. Slowly however, all eyes began to turn towards Cipher. He took his eyes away from the screen and saw everyone looking at him, blinking once when he was broken out of his trance by their stares.

"What's the plan, Buddy?" asked Larry with a slight grin. "How are you gonna save the world this time?"

Cipher didn't have an answer for him right then. He thought for a moment before his expression hardened and that fire emerged in his eyes.

"Get everyone in the hangar. James, I want you to try and contact Jack Bartlett and ensure the safety of the president and prime minister. We also need to contact the Osean and Yuke forces that assisted my squadron over Sudentor...we're going to need all the help we can get."

As quickly as they could, briefing equipment and projector screens were taken to the largest hangar at Valais Air Base and set up near the mouth, while others grabbed any chair they could find and brought it with them to us. Even then, with everyone on base, there were still people having to stand around the edge as final preparations were made by James and the base commander for the briefing everyone would be present for.

The good news that came out of this whole situation was that James was able to contact Bartlett and learned he and the Major, Nastasya he said her name was, were able to evacuate Harling and Nikanor from the city before the invasion started and were laying low a few miles outside of the city. Connections were made to the people in charge with the friendly Osean and Yuke forces, which after Sudentor had been directed to various nearby air bases, one being Heirlark. Pops was present via video connection from the Andromeda and the rest of the Kestrel's fleet off the coast of Osea.

"Good to see you're doing fine Pops. How's Andersen?" asked Cipher, Snow right beside him.

"Ah he's doing fine. The rest of the fleet is doing well too. We heard what happened at Sudentor, great work, all of you. It's unfortunate about what's occurring right now at Oured...how can we help?"

"You'll hear soon enough. James will be giving the briefing here shortly, once everything is set and he has all the information he needs."

"That James is a tech wizard, isn't he? Probably the best AWACS I've ever met." said Snow with a chuckle, a hand clapping itself on his shoulder suddenly, only for it to be Larry when he glanced back.

"Damn right he is. He was the one to tell Cipher all about my plane during our fight anyhow...without James, that fight could've gone either way."

"Maybe. I was still gonna kick your ass, super fighter or not."

Cipher and Larry laughed, Snow chuckling at the two of them along with Pops. Before they could talk anymore though, James clapped his hands loudly to gather everyone's attention to himself. Cipher said goodbye to Pops with Snow and went to take their seats at the very front, the rest of those in attendance finding their seats or standing around the edges within the hangar.

Once that was done, the base commander nodded his head and James and gave him the floor for him to start the briefing. James nodded back and cleared his throat, staring out over the crowd of pilots and base personnel.

"I'll waste no time here. We all heard that broadcast a short while ago, and I'm sure all of us are all feeling the same way about it. There's no way in hell were just going to sit back and watch the end of the world."

James activated the projector and those there via video, Pops, a couple Oseans and Yukes, and turned to look at the briefing system powering up. On the central screen in between the two other sections, the globe on the left along with other options, a window popped up marked with basic information appeared. The operation name, date, area, basic information like that.

They only got a glimpse of it before it vanished and the map zoomed in on the peninsula that Oured sat on, focusing on the city and the area of Oured Bay that was closest to it.

"The one who made that broadcast was once a former of the Belkan Air Force, and the leader of the 18th Air Division, 5th tactical Fighter Squadron 'Gault'. Anton Kupchenko's his name, and he was one of the preliminary founders of the A World With No Boundaries that most of us have fond memories of from December of 1995. This organization is comprised of individuals from primarily Osea, Belka, and Sapin, with some from Yuktobania and even Ustio to fill in the gaps."

Each country's individual flag appeared on the screen for a moment before shifting off to the side, allowing for a profile picture of the BAF's databanks to appear, the man in question none other then Kupchenko himself. With a bald head and circular bifocals with a slight yellow tint to them over his silvery, almost dead-looking eyes, he looked exactly what his scientific background described.

"As the forerunner of Project Pendragon, the development project that paved the way for the creation of many of Belka's weapons, he has extensive knowledge of nuclear weapons and was the one to build the V1 and V2 devices used in the last war...as well as the ones shown in the broadcast."

Some whispers and murmurs came from the crowd, James waiting until they quieted down again before continuing.

"Apparently having survived his encounter with Cipher during the last war, he's returned with an invasion force from the air and sea, capturing the capital city of Oured and establishing complete hegemony. Analysis from AWACS Oka Nieba before he went offline shows that their strengths lie in the air. The naval fleet and ground forces are only just enough to blockade the bay and establish positions within the city."

James pointed to the screen as enemy positions appeared, some in the water near and outside the city in the bay, while only a couple of key points where ground troops and armored vehicles appeared on land, most in the city while a couple were at Oured Air Force Base.

Cipher took all of it in with the rest of the pilots, and the leaders of Osean and Yuke squadrons not present were sure to relay all of this information to their squadrons via data link.

"Patrolling the skies above Oured are several squadrons of pilots from all of the nations the AWWNB is comprised of, and they all center around a product of Project Pendragon that was already shot down by Cipher previously, the heavy command cruiser known as XB-0. Destroying it will be tough, however, because it can be assumed that Anton has made extensive upgrades to its designs over its original version. They were able to get all of these assets in more, due to taking advantage of the Grey Men and their affiliation with Gründer Industries. Utilizing the former's production capabilities and resources, they were able to construct this invasion force. Expect resistance from all parties involved."

Larry sighed and he clapped his hands to his knees before standing up and walked up next to James, the AWACS operator pausing out of confusion for the pilot's approach to the front. Larry gave him a grin before turning to those behind him and crossed his arms over his chest, the grin vanishing and turning into a fiercely serious expression.

"We don't want to mess around with these guys, trust me. For those of you who don't know, I was one of these bastards during the Belkan War, one of the founders I even tried to kill Cipher too, twice. These guys play for keeps, they're not afraid to sacrifice themselves if it means accomplishing their goals."

"Might I ask what those are?" asked one of the Oseans not at the base. "What exactly are we dealing with in that regard?"

"They believe that borders are the root cause for war, and wish to eliminate them worldwide. In their eyes, that calls for wiping the slate clean, so to speak. Meaning to wipe away a nation's border, they're going to wipe away the nation itself."

"By...killing hundreds of thousands of people?"

"Exactly. It's crazy...I know. I used to believe in that too...before a certain ace knocked the sense back into me."

"One final note too them, it seems that Kupchenko was able to secure another weapon born from the Belkan War for the organization."

James pressed a button on the remote in his hand and both he and Larry turned to the screen to view an image that seemed like it was taken with a high resolution camera from high up in the sky. It was focused on Kupchenko's plane, and Cipher guessed that Oka Nieba must've gotten it before whatever fate they brought to him occurred.

"We believe that this jet fighter is the manned version of a jet fighter known as ADF-01 an air superiority jet fighter built by Gründer after they retrieved the black box from the ADFX-02 piloted by Larry Foulke during the last war. Boasting incredible stats in nearly all areas, it's the start of what Gründer stated in documents recovered from their headquarters as the 'Advanced Dominance Fighter' series. The only information we have on it are the plans from the company itself, and flight data we were able to scrounge from an insurrection that took place two years later in Usea involving a drone version."

James pat Larry on the shoulder and the pilot returned to his seat, Cipher smiling and putting an arm around his neck to shake him around a little to show how proud he was for standing up like that in front of everyone.

James closed the image and left the map of Oured with enemy positions on it up on the screen as he turned to address everyone for the last time.

"I can't guarantee everyone's safety on this, but we will be mobilizing all available forces for this operation. This includes the Osean 3rd Naval Fleet, the Kestrel's Fleet, the Yuktobanian 5th Fleet, and other assets from both countries who participated in the Battle of Sudentor. The entirety of the Ustio 6th Air Division will also participate in this mission, and it will be led by the Galm Team and the Razgriz Air Command Squadron. Codenamed 'Operation: Final Act', our mission will be to eliminate all enemy forces and take back the city of Oured."

James ended the briefing there and clapped his hands to signal everyone to get ready, the screens assembled around them turning off as their allies who weren't present left to ready themselves too. Cipher and Larry were quick to leave the hangar, Nicolai, Nagase, Grimm and Snow trailing right behind them.

"To think this war had come to something like this…" murmured Nicolai in disbelief.

"You said it. I never would've imagined an operation like this." Snow replied back. "I would've much rather it had ended after the SOLG was destroyed."

"Sometimes things just don't work out that way." interjected Larry upon them reaching their jets. "But that doesn't mean we can't change it! So, Cipher, you mind if I join you for this mission, Buddy?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way. Nicolai too. Galm Team, Razgriz, doesn't matter."

The six of them huddled together, arm in arm, shoulder to shoulder, and stared at one another with the stars above them and the whole world feeling like it was coming to rest on top of them. This really was going to be the most important mission of their lives.

"Guys...I wouldn't want to have anyone else as my squad mates." said Cipher with a smile. "I mean it. I was in a bad place before this whole shit show started, but now...my love for flying's come back tenfold."

Cipher brought the group in for a hug, letting really know just how much they all mean to him now, more then ever.

"Want to say it for us, Buddy?"

"Say what?"

Larry grinned and elbowed him a little, "You know, what you told me you said before leaving for Avalon."

"Oh that! Why not? Get in close everyone, and bow your heads, close your eyes, do whatever you need. I'm not that much of a religious person, but this verse has always stuck with me ever since I first read it."

Once everyone had lowered their heads and Cipher assumed their eyes were closed, he cleared his throat and started.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4."

Snow and Grimm slowly brought their heads up, as did Nicolai and Nagase, before Larry brought his head up lastly and laughed while clapping Cipher on the back. They each shared what could be their final goodbyes with one another before they left to go for their planes, the fate of the world hanging in the balance.

"Hey, Buddy."

"Yeah?" Cipher looked back at Larry before he had begun the climb up into the cockpit.

"Aren't you going to fly your jet?" asked Larry, putting a hand on his hip as he stood next to his brand new jet, a freshly refurbished and painted Eagle.

"What do you mean? This is my jet."

"No, no, no. I'm talkin' about _your_ jet."

He motioned over his shoulder further into the hangar they had walked to at something hidden beneath a huge tarp, collecting dust after months of not being used. Cipher glanced at it, then back at Larry, and then back at the tarp. Larry snickered when Cipher climbed off the ladder and walked to the rear of the hangar and lifted up the tarp, freezing.

Cipher only looked back once at Larry after seeing what was underneath, before he quickly pulled the tarp off as hard as he could and took a step back to let it settle. Standing before him, looking almost like brand new, was the very same F-15C Eagle that he had flown fifteen years prior.

"The mechanics have maintained every single day since you retired her. Replaced the parts, kept her clean and shiny too. She's just as advanced as that Tomcat." said Larry before he reached the top rung of the ladder to the cockpit. "What a better moment to take her out then now?"

Cipher grinned before Larry plopped down into the flight seat and started prepping for launch, before he quickly snagged a rolling ladder to climb up into the cockpit and sit down in the seat. It was new, he could tell, all of it was new. But even then, the Eagle still felt the same way he had left it.

"Hell yeah."

Several minutes later they were up in the air, the entire 6th Air Division of the Ustio Air Force, with the legendary Galm Team and Ghosts of Razgriz leading the charge. Oured was their destination, and their goal was to put a stop to a madman's machinations.

 **\- Oured, Southeastern Osea -**

 **\- January 1st, 2010 0610 hrs -**

Just as planned, the huge coalition force of Osean, Yuke, and Ustian pilots had met in the waters below Sapin and rendezvous with the Andersen and the combined forces of the Osean 3rd Fleet and the Yuke 5th fleet.

Cipher took one look at everyone gathered around them and he slowly nod his head, satisfied with what they had. They were all flying for the same purpose, to stop the AWWNB from killing millions of innocents with their V2 missiles, a matter that they could deal with when they defeated Anton at Oured. An unexpected surprise were the addition of several Sapinish squadrons of Rafale jets; they saw the broadcast and when they detected their force moving past their coast for Oured Bay, they made the decision to join them.

Soon they could see Oured looming over the horizon, their approach setting them up for an attack from the rear of the city, allowing their fleet to attack the enemy from behind. Now was the time to address the elephant in the room, one he was sure everyone had heard about.

"All units, this is the Demon Lord. Our final destination is just ahead, so I thought I might ask this now, if any of you want to back out now and return home none of us will hold it against you."

Cipher waited for a minute to see if anyone would speak up, to say that they didn't think they could handle the pressure. Unsurprisingly, not a single person spoke up. They all remained silent, dead set on accomplishing their goal.

"Very well. James, take it away."

"Roger, Galm One. Continue on to Oured, once you reach the city further orders will be given."

They held back a little to give the fleet below them time to get closer to the entrance to the bay, their entire force approaching from the south. When Cipher deemed it was the right time, he led the charge for Oured and right off the bat he and Larry scored two kills by downing a pair of patrolling jets on the outskirts of the city.

An alert was immediately sent off throughout the AWWNB forces, reaching all the way to Anton over the bay inside of the XB-0, who looked out through the windows of the bridge towards the city and beyond. He frowned deeply and glanced to the right at the countdown timer for the launch of his V2 missiles, and cursed somewhat to himself.

" _So it begins…_ "

"Listen up everybody! Oured is divided into six administrative districts: Burton, Glennon, Stockham, Lindsey, Reinhardt, and Eversole. To liberate the city from all ground forces, each district must be freed of AWWNB control, and to ensure no other reinforcements are launched, Oured Air Force Base must also be liberated. The majority of the enemy fleet is stationed within the immediate bay area, and are mostly stationary, so they should be easy to target. Target the command fleet, including the XB-0 Hresvelgr, last. Begin operation!"

"Let's go save the goddamn world."

Nagase gunned it with Snow and Grimm, following right behind Cipher, Nicolai forward towards the first wave of enemies. The rest of the coalition forces followed behind, the mercenaries that comprised the entire 6th Air Division whooping and letting out laughs of joy as they engaged the enemy with every fiber of their being pulsing for the thrill of battle.

The pilots who weren't used to the presence of mercenaries and their hot-blooded personalities were put off a first, until they scored a string of quick kills without sustaining any casualties and blew them all away.

"Whoa, those Ustians are crazy!"

"It's a whole lotta good crazy, though!" exclaimed Larry with a laugh. "These guys bit the bullet and fought the Belkan Air Force during the last war, and afterwards were accepted full as members of the UAF."

"Well by all means, let them have their fun!" Snow said. "We don't mind one bit!"

The coalition spread out over the entire city, the battle quickly growing fierce when more of Anton's forces joined the fray and quickly began to show their superiority in numbers. In response Cipher and the rest of the highly skilled aces compensated by utterly tearing through every single enemy fighter that came near them.

"Fox Two! Grimm, on your right!"

"On it, Captain!"

"The coalition forces have just liberated the Burton district of Oured, the enemy threat level has dropped. Continue operation." informed James when Nicolai accomplished the task with his Yuke allies.

Cipher ordered Snow and Grimm to split off with some of the mercenaries to assist the fleets in attacking the enemy fleet, and as they soared down towards the water the two Oseans were amazed at how fluidly the mercenaries twisted and turned through the oncoming AA fire. Some barrel-rolled, others did all sorts of funky maneuvers that they wouldn't teach you in flight school.

"How did you all get this good at flying?" asked Snow, Crow One glancing back at him as he destroyed a frigate.

"Easy, a lot of us watched Cipher back in the day, and for guys like me, we were taught by those before us."

"Yeah, the big boss was the one that really paved the way for the 6th Air Division."

"The Captain really did all of that?" questioned Grimm. "We've only heard bits and pieces of his life…"

"All of that and more." said a mercenary. "He's the undisputed Ace of Aces, after all. So consider yourselves lucky to have been under his guidance."

"We are, trust us."

Snow grinned as he dropped down to just above the water and sent a LASM plunging deep into the hull of an enemy cruiser, ripping apart the port side of the ship. Fire and smoke consumed it as it began its trip into the depths of the bay, still firing aimlessly into the sky.

"Focus fire on the larger capital ships!" ordered Andersen, who before arriving had transferred himself to the YNS Bystry, the _Kirov_ -class battlecruiser that had defected to the Kestrel fleet before the attack on Sudentor.

The two fleets behind him released their anti-ship missiles and opened fire with their main armaments on the enemy ships just sitting perfectly still in the water. It was like bobbing for apples, but with high-tech jet fighters and naval warships capable of wiping out an entire city.

Anton watched from the Hresvelgr as the command fleet flew towards the city from out over the bay as quickly as possible, his frustration growing by the second before he quickly turned and walked out of the bridge. He was confident his forces could have handled the enemy, but because of the presence of Cipher, Larry, and the Razgriz, they weren't getting any headway.

" _If they can't get it done, you have to do it yourself. Imbeciles._ "

He traveled into the depths of the Hresvelgr, arriving within the self-contained armored hangar that was protected from the elements through the means of collapsible shutter doors. The hangar was just large enough for ten aircraft to be stored there, and waiting there for their call to action were eight pilots. His squadron, the new Gault Team, comprised of new and old members who were all Belkan, with the outsider being the pilot whom he rescued from prison a couple hours before.

Gault Two's position was filled by a new member whom he recruited a year before, Gault Three was filled again by Griswold Veiser, whom he rescued from Valdes State Prison, Andrew Barry had returned as Gault Four when Anton had contacted him after several years of serving the Osean Air Defense Force. Gault Five was replaced, since the original, Bruno Watts, Egon Strauss, was killed by Osean special ops after a standoff at the OWC Communication Company. Gault Six was the same story, only he died in the fight over B7R fifteen years ago.

Anton could never find his former number seven in the squadron. His body was never found at B7R, which implied he had survived, but as for the search after the war, he had virtually disappeared into thin air. The final member of his squadron, Gault Eight, its former member had perished in the fight against the Demon Lord as well, but because of the initial spar before their retreat, he was shot down and killed by one of the black fighters. Because of that, the rescued pilot had taken up the helmet as Gault Eight in order to fully complete Gault's Golden Nest.

"We going out, Kupchenko?" asked Bristow, standing up from the crate he was sitting on.

"Yes...the Demon Lord and those demons of his are making a mess of things." replied Anton as he grabbed his flight helmet and walked for his aircraft.

"Isn't it futile for them anyways?"

Anton paused for a moment before slowly turning his head to look at him just out of the corner of his eye, his glasses gaining a soft red tint from the lights in the hangar giving him an almost demonic appearance.

"Why shouldn't we enjoy ourselves for a few?"

With that question the other members of Gault and Bristow all smiled and shared a rather menacing chuckle with each other before they all climbed into their jets and readied for take off. The shutters were lowered and, utilizing a catapult mechanism similar to an aircraft carrier's, they were launched out into the early morning sky in order to join the battle personally.

"New enemies detected on radar, they've launched from the Hresvelgr. It's Kupchenko and his squadron, Gault."

"Larry, Nicolai, Nagase, Grimm, Snow, form up on me. We're going to take them on and prevent them from attacking our allies." ordered Cipher, his expression turning into a deep scowl. "And be sure to leave Kupchenko to me."

"Roger that, Buddy."

"Roger Captain!"

"Stay safe, Cipher. We'll protect you."

Cipher's jet entered the forward position, Larry on his immediate right and Nagase on his left, the others filling in behind as their six-man squadron sped wards Gault for the intercept.

"Gault One to all units. You know your orders, do not make the same mistakes that Grabacr and Ofnir made. Fly by my orders, and my orders alone."

" _This time, I'm going to make sure you die._ " Cipher thought angrily.

Their two sides met one another with a swarm of missiles and gunfire, the elite fighter pilots unable to land any meaningful blows on one another in the opening seconds of the self-contained dogfight. As they waged war on each other, the tide of battle had already turned against the AWWNB because of Galm and the Razgriz helping the other forces out beforehand. The enemy fleet been completely devastated and Oured was almost completely liberated by coalition forces, with four of the six districts that comprised Oured free of enemy control.

"Ater Team, disengage from your current conflict and assist Gault."

"Roger, Director."

The elite Osean squadron quickly flew to the aid of their leader and Cipher cursed under his breath when the F-22As entered the fray, outnumbering them even more now. That moment was short-lived though, Cipher's heart beat faster and he grinned madly with an intensity he rarely lets loose.

Anton was keen to notice the change in his enemy, how he now moved faster and hungrier then anyone else around him.

"Guess what...your fairy godmother's here, Cinderella. Long time no see, Foulke. Seems like you've had a change of heart."

Larry and Cipher's eyes both widened when they heard the grating voice both of them had learned to despise. For Cipher, it was when he heard it during Larry's defection, and for Larry afterwards while being around the man.

"Bristow...so they brought you out of the hole you were thrown into?" asked Larry, Bristow chuckling.

"You could say that. I'll be honest, it's nice to be back in the air...and to be given another chance to fight the Demon Lord...my blood is pumping."

"Fuck off."

Cipher fired a missile that narrowly avoided the traitorous Osean, the retaliation coming from two of the Ater Team's squad chasing after him. Cipher snarled and performed an unbelievable maneuver with his Eagle, catching the F-22A pilots off guard by it, and planted missiles right into the cockpits of both fighters to knock them out of the fight. Then he moved on to the next, chasing after the Gault fighters with a hungry vengeance that actually got to Anton in a way that made him call in the insurance policy.

A quick warning from James was what they got before the Hresvelgr started to bombard the air with not only regular missiles, but MPBMs as well. Larry called out to everyone about the threat they posed, and swore loudly when they still were able to succeed in damaging their forces by killing several pilots.

"Enough of this." Anton targeted Cipher personally and gave chase after him, Cipher grunting when the ADF-01 was quick to get right behind and harass him.

"James! Give me in depth analysis on Kupchenko's jet! Does it have the same weaponry as-"

Suddenly the nose of the aircraft split apart to reveal some sort of device inside that, after a brief moment, glowed bright red and Cipher had to quickly dive to the side to avoid a bright laser beam from cleaving his jet clean in two.

"Shit! That thing has a TLS! Watch out!"

"Gah!" Grimm quickly avoided the TLS beam when Kupchenko had turned to pursue Cipher, the beam remaining active the entire time until the charge was used up and the nose closed up again.

"Cipher, that Falken does have the same TLS weaponry as the Morgan, with the exception of the randome within the TLS pod. It can only fire in a straight line forward. However…" James frowned deeply as he received more information on the jet from allies in Gründer. "The weakness in the front air intakes still remains...if you want to cause the maximum amount of damage, you'll have to attack from the front like before."

"No one can hide from the eyes of my COFFIN." muttered Anton, continuing to relentlessly pursue Cipher while the coalition began their united attack on the Hresvelgr.

Without its escorts, which had been taken out one by one thanks to the 6th Air Division's mercenary pilots overwhelming them with their unorthodox flying style they inherited from Cipher, the heavy command cruiser started to feel the heat.

Because of their close proximity, they had lost the effectiveness of their MPBMs for fear of damaging themselves, and had to rely on their other self-defense mechanisms that were already being systematically destroyed.

"Director, this is the Hresvelgr. We're sustaining damage, the enemy has taken out all of our escorts!"

"Very well then. Activate launch procedure."

Cipher had just shot down Ater Team's number two fighter when James immediately connected to everyone on the battlefield, "Signal has been detected from XB-0, it's going to launch the V2s!"

"All forces, attack that ship!"

"We have to destroy it!" said Nagase when they took the fight with Kupchenko, Bristow and Gault towards the Hresvelgr to help assist in taking it down while avoiding the elite enemy aces. The fight grew more desperate as the Hresvelgr sustained more damage, smoke clouds beginning to erupt from various wounds in its hull as well as some of its now damaged engines, but still the countdown continued. Soon their were call outs and cries of pilots running out of ammunition, their jets having to pull out of the fight in order to avoid being shot down.

"Captain, I'm out of missiles! Retreating to the allied controlled city!"

"Roger Grimm, get out of here!"

Cipher avoided another laser attack from Anton, the beam almost blinding him when it passed by so close to the cockpit it covered him in red light. More and more of their pilots had to retreat from the fight after they pronounced themselves empty, and eventually Larry found himself in the same boat.

"Shit, Cipher, I'm-"

"One minute till launch of V2s! Aim for the bridge of the Hresvelgr!"

Larry closed his mouth at James' announcement and he saw that Cipher, Nagase and Snow were engaged with the Gault Team and Bristow, with only two of the Belkan fighters having gone down with the last of the Ater Team. They were running out of time and running out of options, and he knew better then anyone the Hresvelgr would be able to take more of a beating.

He couldn't help but grin at how tight the rope was they were walking on, and chuckled a little to himself.

"Hehe…"

"Larry? Were you going to say something?"

"Buddy...thanks for believing in me again. It was great to be your wingman again too." Larry said as he pulled away from the Hresvelgr, getting his bearings on the behemoth and locking onto the bridge.

"Larry?"

Cipher glanced back over his shoulder after pulling away for a brief moment from Anton, only to watch as Larry flew his jet at top speed right for the Hresvelgr bridge.

"Yo Buddy...stay alive for me, alright? See you again!"

Larry laughed out loud like some of the mercenaries from Ustio before, to Cipher's silent horror, his jet smashed through the reinforced glass of the bridge of the heavy command cruiser, exploding in a massive fireball that shot outwards in all directions and shook the entire vessel from end to end.

The Hresvelgr lost all functionality with the death of its operating crew, and it began a careening descent down towards the earth. Everyone within sight of the giant shipped was unable to stop it as he glided over the bay area with its massive wings and crashed into the eastern sector of the city, crashing through building after building and sheering them in two, causing smoke and debris to rain down onto the streets below and anyone unfortunate to be trapped beneath it all. Finally the airship smashed into the ground and tre through several other buildings, knocking them over from the bottom up and making even more of a mess until finally settling in a heaping wreck of fire, smoke and building debris.

"Larry! LARRY!" cried Cipher loudly, flashes of PJ's death plaguing his mind and overlapping with Larry's like a hurricane in his eyes.

Nagase had her mouth covered in shock, and the rest of the coalition was completely speechless. Even James and the rest of his crew were unable to speak at Larry's sacrifice; he couldn't bear to say anything over Cipher's cries for his closest friend.

"Such a pitiful sacrifice." muttered Anton callously. "All for nothing."

Activating a secondary launching mechanism within his cockpit, across several thousand miles in Belka, several missile silos opened up from the Avalon Dam and one by one, the eight V2 missiles contained inside were launched into the air without any opposition to stop them.

Each missile could carry up to eight nuclear warheads of the same destructive power as a V1 bomb, and with eight V2s now in the air, there were sixty four nuclear warheads now on their way to spread chaos, destruction, and death worldwide.

The end of the world was upon them.


	35. A New Day

A/N Leave a favorite and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 33 - A New Day**

…

* * *

"Launch of multiple V2 missiles confirmed from central Belka! They're out of range of aerial attacks...it's...too late."

James was at a loss of what to do as he watched the missiles on his screen fly higher and higher up into the atmosphere, their location far enough away that not a single jet fighter could touch them.

"A World With No Boundaries will rewrite history, and pen a new story for the world. The world will change, and there's no one who can stand against it." Anton fixed his gaze on the silent Cipher, Bristow flying right beside him. "You, Demon Lord, who strikes down all opposition, shall succumb."

"It's time for the fairy godmother to take you away too. Your time is up."

Their menacing tones fell on deaf ears, Cipher could hardly hear them or even hope to respond. Watching Larry sacrifice himself in such away had caused something to break inside of him, something very fragile and delicate that was only just recently patched up with the friendships he built with his new wingmen and friends. The last time it had been shattered was during the Belkan War all those years ago, when a certain young and optimistic pilot had been so suddenly snuffed out in the blink of an eye.

And with it now broken, the demons he had kept under wraps were now pouring out through his veins and infecting his entire being. They wanted a demon lord? They were getting one.

"Cipher? Cipher!" pleaded Nagase, trying to get through to him. "Please, respond! They've got a-"

Without warning Cipher gunned the thrust and soared up and over the Gault fighter just above to plant a missile into his Eagle's engines. The baffled pilot was silenced quickly as Cipher riddled his jet from end to end with bullet holes before soaring past him, leaving his jet to explode in a fireball of twisted metal and ignited jet fuel.

"Leave them to me." he said darkly, his gaze moving to the next Gault fighter. "Nobody interfere."

"But Captain-"

"Negative Grimm...we better do what he says." interrupted Snow. "That tone of his...there's no way he'd let anyone help him with this."

"Why? He's outnumbered!"

"Did he ever tell you about the time he was another ace entirely?" asked Crow One, flying up beside them.

"What do you mean?"

"I can let him tell you later, but you see...between this war and the one fifteen years ago, Cipher over there participated in another pretty well known war and I'm sure you can guess what happened."

"He was the best out of everyone, right?" answered Snow. "Like he is now?"

"Exactly. So much so that, after that war ended, apparently...his battle prowess was identified to be equal to an entire squadron of elite pilots."

Right when Crow One finished, Cipher struck down yet another Gault pilot that had survived up until that point with a single missile. His Berkut was sheared in half, the two pieces spiralling out of control towards the water with the pilot strapped lifelessly into the seat. The demon then set his sights hungrily on the last Gault fighter before the main course, Anton and Bristow.

"Cipher, this is Eagle Eye! It's just like fifteen years ago, Kupchenko's controlling the V2s from his jet!"

"So if I shoot him down, they'll self-destruct?"

"Negative. I've received further information from our allies in Sudentor, turns out the V2 missiles Kupchenko launched are the fully completed version of the same missile destroyed fifteen years prior. They're able to operate independently in the event communication is lost with their original launch sites or with the ones controlling them. Each missile though contains a built in kill-code that causes them to self-destruct in the event of a misfire, so I'm going to try and hack Kupchenko's jet and trigger the self-destruct from the source."

"Roger. I'll keep him occupied." replied Cipher before he turned left on instinct, the beam of Anton's TLS system sweeping past.

" _He's become even better then he was previously...it's almost as if he's evolving with each passing second._ " thought Anton while he and Bristow continued to chase after Cipher.

The pilot was successful in shooting down the last Gault ace, leaving just the two heads of the snake remaining. He trusted James with the daunting task of preventing the end of the world, and pushed those thoughts out of his mind in order to focus on what he did best. His focus sharpened, his body became calm, his eyes open and practically unmoving.

This was it, the zone, and now that he was in it...there was no way they were going to stop him.

"Bristow, you should've stayed in prison."

"What?"

Cipher was behind him in the blink of an eye, and no matter what the Osean did, he remained glued to his tail like a predator stalking its prey. He was waiting for the perfect moment to pounce, for when he would make the fatal mistake.

"Dammit, Anton do something!"

"I am, imbecile."

He fired several missiles at Cipher, but he dodged every single one of them without losing a beat on Bristow. Bristow banked right, Cipher banked right. He accelerated, Cipher accelerated, and only got closer and closer. Bristow's hands started to shake and fear started to course through his veins, an emotion he had never truly experienced until now.

Then it all clicked. A glance back at Cipher's jet was all it took for him to truly realize who he was dealing with. Cipher wasn't just any skilled pilot...he really was a force of nature.

" _Now I understand why-_ "

The fire that consumed his cockpit when the missile Cipher fired struck his aircraft ended his thoughts, the explosion killing him almost instantly. Now it was just Cipher and Anton, two masters of their own trade, each of them with the skills needed to battle the other.

"I've bypassed the first firewall. Dammit, this is extensive…"

"Why continue to fight, Demon Lord? It's futile." questioned Anton, more intrigued then ever before about his opponent. "You won't be able to win."

"You wouldn't believe how many times I've heard that over my career…"

Cipher flipped back towards Anton and right when he saw the red flash, he fired a missile and ducked away right when the beam fired. The missile soared just underneath the laser and struck Anton's jet over the right front air intake, the ADF-01 rattling heavily. Anton growled at the exploited weakness and chased after Cipher, making heavy usage of the TLS to try and clip the wings off his enemy's fighter jet to no avail.

Cipher was always one step ahead, able to correctly predict and avoid every single time he fired the TLS almost as if he had eyes on the back of his head.

" _It's like...I'm fighting myself._ "

The two aces exchanged several more blows with one another, Cipher scoring several more hits on Anton by taking advantage of the TLS's limited firing arc and using it against the Belkan. With each hit Anton's craft sustained more damage, until smoke started to pour out from the right engine.

At the same time James was able to get past the final firewall just as the V2s released their payloads, the individual warheads traveling at their fastest speeds towards their intended targets. Cinigrad, Directus, several dozen other capital or large cities, all of them were targets, and James was working over time within his plane using his fingers as fast as he could to input coding on his screen.

"It's useless, Demon Lord. Our time has come." muttered Anton when he looked up, the warhead destined for Oured hurtling towards them trailing fire.

"Got it!"

James pressed the enter key and Anton heard a beep come from the instrument panel before him, his eyes focusing on a few flashing words on the screen. Almost instantly his anger flew through the roof and he cursed loudly when his jet gave the kill-all fail safe command to the V2s. One by one the command was circulated from the missiles to their individual warheads, and with a brilliant flash of light the warhead poised to wipe out Oured exploded in midair. The same thing happened world wide with the rest of the warheads, the threat of nuclear annihilation disappearing almost instantly.

"Yes! James, I love you man!" shouted Cipher loudly, the rest of the coalition joining in on the celebration of a total victory against an otherwise insurmountable force.

Cipher's instincts then kicked in when he quickly avoided an attack from Anton's TLS, the now enraged Belkan pulling out all the stops to try and kill him. With his allies dead or dying, and his plan ruined, the only satisfaction he had left to gain was to kill the bane of his existence.

"Too slow old man!"

He turned to engage Anton, but at the last second Anton swerved his aircraft and at point blank range he laser beam sliced clean through Cipher's jet, passing dangerously close past the cockpit and severely burning his right arm.

"Gah! Bastard!" he snarled, his hand turning the flight stick just in the nick of time.

The half of his jet with the cockpit still attached veered off towards the decimated side of the city while, at the same time, the other half that Anton had sheared off smashed into the nose of the Falken and caved it in, breaking away one of the wings and damaging the rest of the body to make it fall into a crash course with the city. Cipher held on for dear life as his ruined F-15C smashed through a skyscraper and spun out of control, hitting the ground hard and rolling past several destroyed cars and a ruined tank before screeching to a fiery halt.

Cipher yelled out in pain once the rolling stopped and he tried to move the arm that was burnt, only to find he could barely lift it. Of course it was broken, and lights flashed in his eyes before he passed out. He didn't know how much time passed when he gasped and awoke with a start his body jerking around heavily as he tore off the flight seat restraints with his one good arm and popped the canopy.

His lungs got a second of fresh air before he smelled nothing but smoke and ash from the debris field around him, and looked left to see the crashed Falken his enemy flew sitting a few meters away. The armored cockpit was open and through the ash and dust on the road, he could see footprints, as well as small little drops of blood, leading away from the crash site.

" _You're not getting away that easily...you bastard…_ " Cipher thought before he painfully worked his way out of the cockpit.

He took a step out and his foot slipped, sending him tumbling to the ground over some sharp rocks and pieces of metal that tore apart his flight suit and hurt him even more then how much he was right then. Gasps of air escaped his lungs as he slowly picked himself up with his one good arm, before he wiped some sweat and blood away from his face and eyes and started to walk.

Cipher shuffled slowly, the pain and soreness in his legs and ribs where he originally got hurt almost making it impossible to walk, yet he still kept going. He followed those footprints like it was the last thing he could ever do on this earth, his drive and thirst for vengeance keeping him moving.

A dead soldier was close by and he bent over, pulling out the man's combat knife since there wasn't a handgun or rifle in sight, and kept moving with each heavy breath.

Eventually he took a turn around an overturned car next to a crater and found him. Anton was limping away, blood dripping from a wound in his right leg, while the man's bald head was covered in soot and ash. Cipher clenched his teeth when he saw Anton have to stop and lean against a burning tank, coughing heavily.

There was only one thought that dominated Cipher's mind. Kill Anton.

Cipher gripped the knife tightly in his hand, holding back the urge to cough and alert the man to his position, and shuffled quicker to get behind the man. He got close enough to lift the knife up in the air, and was about to plunge it deep into the back of Anton's neck. When he went for the final strike, Anton spun and stopped his wrist, before putting his other arm around Cipher and grabbed the back of his head to smash it against the side of the tank with a loud bang.

Blood flew from the new gash in Cipher's forehead as he fell backward, hitting the city street hard and only jarring his vision even more.

Anton then picked up the knife Cipher had dropped, kneeled down, and with a murderous expression plunged the blade right through his sternum.

"Gyaaa-aagh!" sputtered Cipher, blood gurgling up through his mouth and down his cheeks. Anton let out a heavy breath as he slowly stood back up, Cipher weakly trying to grab for the knife as his breathing became a struggle even for him. His eyes slowly closed and he drifted in and out of consciousness, getting only bits and pieces of the world around him for a few moments before he was called back by a voice.

"Fifteen years ago...over twenty thousand people died in the blink of an eye. All because...our politicians couldn't bear to watch...as the allies threatened the doorstep of Nord Belka."

Cipher fixed his hazy gaze on Anton, watching the man slowly load a pistol, one that he was able to find under some rubble, with his eyes focused solely on him.

"I created the A World With No Boundaries to eliminate all the greed, and corruption, and worthless politicians in this world...who think they know what's best for everyone...I even turned by back on those who allowed me to conduct my research." Anton said slowly before cocking the pistol and pointing its barrel at Cipher's forehead.

"And I will not...have some gutless mercenary ruin it for me…"

Footsteps came running right at them and suddenly Snow appeared in Cipher's vision when he shoulder tackled Anton to the ground, the bullet he fired barely missing his head and piercing through part of his ear. Anton tried to bring the gun up to shoot Snow, but the adrenaline fueled airman kicked it out of his hand and off to the side a few feet away from Cipher.

Cipher turned his head and saw the weapon before he painfully rolled to the side, the knife in his chest causing him to groan and wheeze with each breath as he slowly dragged himself toward it. Anton and Snow entered a brutal fist fight, with the older man actually gaining an upper hand against Snow with a surprising amount of strength.

"Gah!" grunted Snow when he was thrown to the ground opposite of Cipher, the gun resting between them.

As Cipher reached for it, his fingers only inches away from the handle, Anton kicked it away, and when Cipher looked up at him he stomped on his face and knocked him out cold. Snow yelled and tackled Anton again, punching him several times before Anton was able to throw him away again. The two men fought ferociously with one another, trading blow for blow, until Cipher was able to regain consciousness in the midst of their brawl.

He groaned and made a gurgling noise as he watched Anton pin Snow to the ground, straddle him, and lay blow after blow to his jaw, spraying his blood left and right. Cipher's fingers twitched around the knife and he grit his teeth, willing them to close around the rubber grip. Then he started to pull, pull with all of his strength. Blood oozed more out of the wound, and he whimpered from the pain a few times, but he still kept pulling.

Snow kicked Anton a few times, knocking him off balance to let him get a few good punches in, before Anton pushed him back over again and got him in a quickly tightening headlock to cut off air to his lungs.

"Anton…!" yelled out Cipher as he pulled free the knife and rolled over purely on a rush of adrenaline.

Anton brought his gaze up out of shock as Cipher took one step and launched himself at him, tackling him off of Snow. He pinned him to the ground, and cried at the top of his lungs while raising the knife before plunging it right through Anton's throat. He pulled the knife out and stabbed the man again, causing even more blood to spurt onto his hands and out onto the street.

Snow coughed and rolled onto his side before he looked at Cipher and watched as he repeatedly stabbed Anton in the throat over and over and over again.

"Cipher, Cipher! Easy!" he yelled, grabbing Cipher's shoulders tightly.

Cipher's eyes were wide open and he stopped moving when Snow's voice penetrated through the haze surrounding his senses, his hands shaking as they slowly let go of the knife handle, leaving it stuck in Anton's throat. The man was on the verge of death, his breaths silent and raspy, and with one last thought in his mind, Cipher scowled and stared deep into his eyes.

"Before you die...know this…." Cipher wheezed. "I'm...the one who...got away…"

As he felt his life slip away, Anton realized what Cipher meant and his eyes widened considerably, making an inaudible gurgle through the blood coming up in his mouth before a long and low groan came from the older man as he passed away from his injuries. His head rolled to the side and blood continued to drip from the man's ajar mouth, Cipher wheezing again before he ended up falling over against Snow.

"Cipher!"

Snow held him in his arms just as he heard more footsteps approaching, Nagase and Grimm soon appearing from a nearby alleyway after making their way towards the ruckus during their search after landing.

"Captain!"

"Cipher!"

 **\- Five Hours Later -**

Cipher's eyebrows furrowed as he slowly started to wake up, opening his eyes and instantly regretting it when he was blinded. He cursed at himself for making the same mistake as when he woke up in Ustio after crashing in November, and waited until his eyesight adjusted before opening them again.

"Cipher!"

"Guys…?"

He felt arms wrap gently around him and blinked, seeing it was Nagase who was hugging him where he sat on the hospital bed. Around him were the rest of his squadron and Nicolai, even Pops, Andersen and Bartlett were there.

"Finally. Took you long enough, Kid." said Bartlett with a grin, Nagase giving him the death stare. "U-Uh, sorry."

"What happened...it's all kind of a blur…"

"Well, I pulled that Kupchenko guy off you after he stabbed you and tried to shoot you…" said Snow, who was resting in the bed next to him in the room with a wide smile.

After the beating he'd gotten from the Belkan, he had to be admitted as a patient as well, but his injuries had been treated easily enough while Cipher had been the main focus for the doctors and staff at the hospital.

"Oh...right…" Cipher tried to chuckle but he only coughed. "Ow, that hurts…"

"Try no to do much, Captain. The doctors had to do a lot to get you back…"

"To...get me back?" he asked, Grimm lowering his gaze. Cipher brought his gaze back to Nagase sitting next to him in a chair, who looked him in the eyes and held his hand gently.

"You...you were dead for five minutes...Cipher."

Cipher's eyes widened and he felt his heart skip a beat. He remembered being stabbed in the sternum with the knife, and he could feel where he had lost a part of his ear after it had been shot off when Snow tackled Anton. His entire right arm was bandaged and in a sling to help it heal after it was broken upon crashing, and a single look down his shirt brought him face to face with a series of stitches on his chest from where the knife had been.

He was reminded of his mortality for a brief moment before he closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. That wasn't the first time he had been pronounced dead, but he wasn't going to tell Nagase or anyone else that.

"Then I need to thank the doctors on my way out…" He tried to slide out of the bed before he was stopped.

"Whoa, Kid, where do you think you're going?" questioned Bartlett.

"I need to find him…" murmured Cipher while looking at him, pain still in his gaze.

Nicolai recognized that expression of loss and put a hand on his shoulder. "He's talking about Foulke…"

"Please...I need to see my Buddy again."

"Then we better take you to him, straight away."

President Harling and Nikanor walked in through the open door, both with thankful smiles on their faces as they approached Cipher's bed. Nagase slowly stood up and moved her chair back against the wall with the rest so Harling could stand beside Cipher's bed and put a hand on his shoulder.

"What you did in service to this country and the world...it can never be repaid. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you." said Harling to Cipher, then turned to everyone else. "Thank you, everyone."

"Your sacrifices will never be forgotten, for as long as we live." added Nikanor, giving them an affirmative nod.

Cipher didn't know what to say before Harling looked back at him and gave him that well-meaning smile that he'd always give to anyone. "Now, about your request."

After a somewhat lengthy discussion with the medical staff assigned to watch over Cipher, he was eventually allowed to leave with the president as long as he wasn't allowed to do anything too strenuous. Cipher thanked hem plentifully before following Harling with Bartlett and Nagase's, who didn't want to leave his side for a second, help. Once Harling was secure in the backseat with Nagase and Cipher, Bartlett hopped in the front and drove them away from the hospital into the city. As he had walked out of the hospital he saw that it was just after eleven, meaning he'd been out for five hours.

"They've already started clean-up operations, right?" he asked, Harling nodding.

"I myself, Nikanor, and Bartlett didn't know the extent of the damage until we returned to the city...we will rebuild. The people of this nation are strong."

"And old man Nikanor's pledged his nation will help assist with the efforts to rebuild too." said Bartlett from the front seat. "I'm sure that after a few years, Oured will be good as new."

"Do we...have any numbers? Of those who-"

Nagase's question was stopped by a hand from Harling, who gave her a soft smile. "Don't worry about that now, Miss Nagase...I want to know as well, but that will come later."

"Okay…"

They drove through the city, which still wasn't as busy as it could've been because the events from earlier still hung over everybody's heads. Businesses were closed, and people were encouraged to return to their homes if they had evacuated and take some time to themselves. Of course, dozens of citizen soldiers and emergency service members refused and joined the military in cleaning up the mess made by the XB-0's crash landing in the city.

"Here we are…" said Bartlett upon reaching a barricade of military and police vehicles, the men letting them pass when Harling showed them his face.

The city's whole scenery changed when they passed through that checkpoint. From bright and modern to grey, dreary and still filled with dust and ash drifting through the air, the ruined sector of the city was like a warzone. Now that he was thinking clearly, Cipher's heart was filled with an unbearable sadness for what was around them as they carefully drove through cluttered streets filled with debris. He felt a gentle warmth in his hand and looked back from the window to see Nagase holding it, a soft expression on her face.

Cipher smiled back a little too, telling her silently that he was okay. Bartlett took them all the way up to the blocked off crash site of the Hresvelgr, where the heaviest concentration of vehicles were for clean-up efforts. Bartlett stopped the vehicle and turned it off, the four of them stepping out and walking up a small hill of debris to look out over the crash site.

This was Harling's first visit to the immediate crash site, and upon looking through the broken remains of some rubble before him, his expression turned solemn at what laid before him. The hulking body of the Hresvelgr had hit the ground with such force it had collapsed the street, creating a wide crater surrounded by destroyed buildings and other rubble. Harling took a few steps forward, and on top of a mound of rubble to his left were dozens of firemen and other people, some ordinary citizens doing their part, paused and looked at their president.

Harling maintained his gaze with them before he slowly raised his right hand to his forehead in an honorable salute to the men and women.

Bartlett grinned and both Cipher and Nagase smiled as the men and women, one by one, returned the gesture to their acting president.

"Come on Kid, let's go find your friend...I already know what the president will do." said Bartlett as he walked ahead of them, Nagase holding onto Cipher's good arm.

They passed Harling who, without a doubt, climbed up the rubble and discarded his suit and rolled up the sleeves of his collared shirt underneath to help. Even when he was told he didn't have to help by some, he gave them his smile and kindly refused them to say this was what he wanted to do.

Slowly they climbed down into the crater, Cipher wincing a couple times after an especially big step, before they were finally able to approach the massive Hresvelgr. Any fires that were present earlier had already been put out, leaving horrible black burn marks across its hull. It was the worst directly around the bridge, where even from here they could already see a broken and twisted object lodged deep within it past the shattered windows.

"Kid, is that…"

"Yeah...he's in there." replied Cipher quietly. "Can we get closer?"

They agreed and Nagase walked him up some sections of building walls and metal beams, finally arriving at the bridge windows. With Bartlett and Nagase's help, he was lifted up onto the slanted floor of the bridge, and after coughing a little he looked straight ahead to the blackened and ruined mess of a jet that was Larry's F-15C.

Cipher's chest tightened up when he was able to make his way under hanging cables and around consoles to the cockpit of the Eagle, seeing inside still strapped to the seat was Larry's body. The fire had made him almost unrecognizable, burning his upper and lower body through the tattered flight suit he wore. His helmet was covered in ash as well, and Cipher brought his hand up to slowly lean Larry's head back against the red rest.

He was smiling, despite the mangled appearance of his body. Cipher took a deep breath and slowly pulled reached in, going for a small exposed part of a silver chain around his neck. He grunted a little as he pulled, drawing more of the chain out from under the flight suit until he was finally able to retrieve his dog tags. Remarkably, they were unharmed, and only slightly warped from the extensive heat that must've existed in the cockpit.

"Thank you, Buddy, for everything…"

Cipher leaned his head forward while wrapping his arm around Larry's head, touching his forehead to the side of his helmet as a sign of respect for his friend. A minute passed before Bartlett called out to him, asking he was okay, and Cipher pulled away from Larry for the final time. He then returned to his friends so that they could leave the desolate scene behind and return to the government SUV.

"You know, I just realized something." stated Bartlett, grinning as they watched Harling down in the thick of things, working with his people.

"What is it?" asked Nagase.

"It's January 1st. Yesterday was New Year's Eve." he looked to Cipher and Nagase. "Can you believe that? This whole mess happened over the turn from 2010 to 2011."

"It's a new day…" murmured Nagase, smiling as she looked up just when the sun started to peek through the clouds above.

"Yeah...a new day."

Cipher looked up too, watching the sun's rays shimmer down on the city through the light grey clouds for a few minutes. The silence was soothing, after everything that had happened.

"Cipher…?"

"Yes, Nagase?"

"What...are we going to do now? Snow, Grimm, you and I...we're supposed to be dead."

"I've got an idea."

They turned their heads from the scenery to look back over their shoulder, seeing Gennette with a camera in hand and fresh from arriving in the city from the Kestrel's fleet, smiling at them.

 **\- Solis Ortus, Southern Ustio -**

 **\- 16°52'07"N 237°16'09"E -**

 **\- January 2nd, 2011 0900 hrs -**

"Thanks" said Cipher after stepping out of the taxi.

He smelled the fresh air of Solis Ortus, a rural town in southern Ustio nestled within the mountains, and smiled a little. His broken arm was still in a sling, but due to some kind of miracle that doctors could only explain as "extraordinary vitality", Cipher's other injuries had already healed enough to warrant his release from the hospital in Oured.

Clean up efforts there were well underway now after one whole day, and he was sure that Harling was out there in the thick of it, using his own hands to help the people so that they could see their president was just like them. He smiled at that thought, and remembered that Oka Nieba, the Yuke AWACS, had survived the battle too. He was found injured, but alive, in the wreckage of his aircraft outside the city by some Osean soldiers who recognized his voice. He and the rest of his air crew were recovering at the hospital at that moment, and he was glad he was able to live for being there for them from Sudentor onwards.

After he was let go from the hospital with wary stares, though, he used his freedom and took it upon himself to travel to the isolated mountain town, an area that looked different sixteen years ago compared to the present day.

Being much smaller back then, the town was organized into three small areas with only a few buildings taller then a couple of stories. It had been occupied by the Belkan Army back then too, during the war, but he and Larry had liberated the city with help from the allied forces. Since then the town had grown slowly and wasn't as small now, however compared to the capital of Directus it still had a long way to go.

Since it was still in the winter, the mountains surrounding the valleys that the sections of Solis Ortus were still hidden beneath brightly shimmering snow. Cipher had dressed warm for the trip because he knew what the weather would be like, and with his good hand firmly snug in his coat pocket, he took to walking down the sidewalk towards the small neighborhoods built outside the central avenue.

One look at a note card he had with an address on it reminded him of his destination, and he walked slowly past each home, checking the numbers until he finally found the right one. He took a deep breath and pulled his hand out of his coat pocket as he walked up to the front door and raised his hand up. After a brief moment of hesitation, he finally knocked on the door a couple times then took a step back.

Cipher didn't have to wait long for the door to be answered by a rather pretty woman with shoulder-length dirty blonde hair, her blue eyes resting on Cipher's different colored ones.

"May I help you?"

"You're...Samantha Foulke, right?" Cipher asked, the woman becoming confused.

"Yes...why?" she questioned. "Who are you?"

"I'm a friend of Larry's...his old flight lead, Cipher. Can I come in?"

The woman's eyes widened considerably when Cipher smiled as much as he could over the heaviness in his heart, and she smiled brightly. Samantha walked up and hugged him outright without any further explanation, surprising him by how quickly she was ready to accept him.

"He told me so much about you, how much he admired you! To think after all this time I'd finally get to meet you."

"Heh, yeah...may I come in?"

"Oh, of course!"

She walked him inside to the quaint and cozy home, the warmth instantly hitting his face and prompting the removal of his heavy coat. He hung it on a coat rack to the left of the front door and walked further inside to the living room, looking around and smiling a little at the pictures on the walls of Larry in his military outfits from both the Belkan War and the Continental War. He looked good in both, but he couldn't help but notice in the older picture he looked much happier, more lively then the one from 2004.

Cipher was going to ask her if she knew what kind of place Larry had been at one point, but he didn't have to when she sat down in a chair.

"You know, I still can't believe how you two could still be friends after what happened during the Belkan War..."

"He told you?"

Samantha nodded her head with a smile, "Yes, he told me everything. That was a promise we made when we got married, no secrets kept between us."

"Well...believe me, there was a time when I wanted to kill him, honestly…"

"He did say he tried to kill you twice...it's why I'm so amazed. Was it because you saw his message in that documentary five years ago?"

"Partly, yeah."

Cipher and Samantha spent a good thirty minutes talking to one another about their own relationships with Larry, the former slowly forgetting about the reason why he came until he had to put a stop to it. The weight on his shoulders was too much and he had to remove it, or the guilt was going to tear him up inside.

"Um, Samantha...catching up wasn't really the reason why I came here…"

"It wasn't?"

Cipher shook his head. "There's something I have to tell you...about what happened yesterday morning."

"Oh my goodness, yes...I heard all about that, everyone here did. It was so-"

"We were both there."

Samantha's mouth remained opened in the middle of her sentence when Cipher cut her off, their eyes glued on one another before Cipher lowered his gaze down to his hand. He closed i tightly and forced himself to say what he had to say, because she deserved to know.

"We...were there, over Oured. I was leading the Razgriz, and he and the rest of the 6th Air Division were there too. We were trying to shoot down the Hresvelgr, and...we were running out of ammunition, time was getting short...and…"

He growled at himself for his weakness before digging into his pocket and pulling out Larry's dog tags, opening his hand to let them dangle by the chain from his fingers. The sunlight coming in through the living room window made them sparkle a little, while lighting up her husband's name for her clearly.

"He gave his life to save the world…"

Samantha blinked, not sure of what to say at first. Her first reaction was to cover her mouth, one hand rising slowly before the other followed, shock the only emotion she was able to show. Then came the realization, and Cipher felt his heart strings be tugged harshly when the wife of his closest friend started to tear up.

"I was given this by Larry when I 'died' protecting civilians during the November City attacks…" continued Cipher, lowering his hand to pull out the Medal of Honor he was given from his pocket too. "Larry deserves this so much more then I do."

Cipher then stood up and leaned forward, holding them out for Samantha to take until she held her hands up to do so. He gently placed them in her hands then returned to his seat to watch as she held onto them and ran her thumbs lovingly over the letters of her husband's name. She was crying now, but Cipher was amazed at this woman's ability to maintain her composure despite the crushing news.

" _PJ's girlfriend was the complete opposite of this…_ " Cipher thought before he heard a light creak from behind him and turned around.

"Mommy?"

A small boy, three years old Cipher guessed, was peering around the corner from a separate hallway leading to the bedrooms of the home. He looked so innocent, and what struck Cipher so harshly was that even at such a young age, he could see so much of Larry in the boy's face.

"Will...come here please." said Samantha, taking a deep breath to calm herself somewhat. "Come here, sweetie."

The young child looked at Cipher with a wondering gaze before walking across the carpet to his mother, where he could see her tears clearly and the objects she held in her hands.

"Mommy, what's wrong? Who is he…?"

"He's a friend of your father's...he came to tell me something."

"What?"

"Will, my baby…" she gently stroked his cheek. "Daddy...isn't coming home…"

Will listened to her and looked at her for a few moments before looking over his shoulder at Cipher, who was again surprised when the young child had a rather mature for his age response to the news.

"Did Daddy...go up into the sky?" he asked innocently, Cipher blinking a few times before slowly nodding.

"Um, yeah, he did...he...he went far up into the sky." Cipher stood up and walked over to Will, taking a knee beside him. "He was a really good friend of mine, you know? My name's Cipher."

"Cipher...daddy talked about you sometimes. You're...his buddy, right?"

"Yeah, that's right!" Cipher smiled, a glance at Samantha showing she was smiling softly through her tears too. "I was his Buddy. And let me tell you...your father was probably one of the greatest men I've ever met...he...was even my enemy at one point too."

He sat down next to the young boy and with Samantha's permission, he was able to talk with Larry's son and tell him even more about his father that he didn't already know. While on the outside he was doing it to help his friends family cope with the loss, deep down, this was his way of healing himself too.

 **\- Directus, Capital of Ustio, Southeastern Ustio -**

 **\- January 5th, 2011 1230 hrs -**

"Salute!"

Cipher raised his right hand in unison with Snow, Nagase, Grimm, and dozens of other pilots from the 6th Air Division, Osea and Yuktobania as the UAF's Honor Guard fired off their rifles all at once to honor their fallen comrade.

It was thirty minutes past noon in Directus, the capital of Ustio, and after planning done by Cipher and Samantha, they were in the thick of the funeral for Larry at Directus National Cemetery. Buried here were those who had perished during the Belkan War, and now it was Larry's turn to join them within that hallowed ground. In attendance were as many Osean and Yuke allies who had fought with them since Sudentor, the mercenaries of Valais, Nicolai, James, Pops, Andersen, Bartlett, and many others. Even President Harling and Prime Minister Nikanor, who was not without the company of Nastasya, had arrived to pay tribute to the mercenary pilot who assisted the world in its time of need, and in doing so had given the ultimate sacrifice.

President Hilbrachen, who was responsible for Larry's reenlistment back into the UAF after his defection, personally handed the folded Republic of Ustio flag to Larry's son. Nagase was astonished at the maturity of such a young boy, who proudly took the flag and with a somber nod thanked the president for it.  
Cipher lowered his hand once the salute was finished, and immediately felt a warm hand enter it. With a glance down he looked right into the tearful, but still smiling face of his loving wife, Elizabeth.

The rest of the funeral finished up and Cipher loosened his tie to let himself breath easy while standing in a small group with those closest to him.  
"Good thing I was able to find a dress I could fit into." said Elizabeth in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"You look perfect, dear. Even with that belly of your's." replied Cipher, Bartlett snickering as he put an arm around him and jostled him around playfully.

"To think that you had a pretty wife, an expectant one at that!"

"Damn lucky, I'd say." added Snow with a chuckle.

Elizabeth continued to smile but blushed as she put her hands gently on her oversized baby bump, her pregnancy well within the ninth month. Cipher gave her a warm smile as she did that and pushed Bartlett off of him with a laugh too.

"When do you think it'll happen?" asked Grimm. "When, you know…"

"Some time this month." replied Elizabeth with a beaming smile. "And you know what else?"

"What is it?" asked Nicolai, who walked over with James.

"The doctors said it's a very good chance the baby's a girl…" she said with another blush.

Cipher laughed a little as he went to her side and put an arm around her shoulders, the others offering their congratulations or clapping for them. Nagase couldn't help but fill a tinge of regret deep down for what happened between her and Cipher during the war, and she apparently showed some of it on her face when without her realizing it, Elizabeth was soon right next to her with a grin on her face.

"So I hear that things got a little frisky between you and my man...right~?" she asked in a whisper, keeping the matter between themselves. "Don't lie to me."

"U-Um…" Nagase blushed, feeling very shy all of a sudden. "Yes...ma'am…I'm so sorry, I didn't want to-"

"Oh hush now...I've been around Alek long enough to know that life can get pretty stressful, especially as a pilot in war. And considering how bad this war got, it's understandable if one thing or two happened between you both."

She gave Nagase a smile and a playful pat on the rear, making Nagase let out an almost inaudible squeak.

"I'm his wife, we've known one another for years. I know he wouldn't betray me, and I wouldn't do the same. And besides, you're kinda cute anyways~"

Nagase wasn't sure how to feel about Cipher's wife upon first meeting her, but after this short little exchange she saw for herself how much she and Cipher were alike in some ways. Now she understood his love for her, and saw just how much she loved him just by how she talked about him, and from that the guilt she carried on her shoulders from the times they had sex was lifted.

"So, outside of that, I've got some more good news for you all." said Pops with a smile.

"What is it?" asked Snow.

"I caught a rumor yesterday about how the military's thinking of shutting down Sand Island. Well, of course I asked the president here and under an official statement about it being shut down…" started Pops before he gave them a sly grin. "The whole base instead can be our permanent home. I'll be living there with Kirk, and all of you are welcome there too."

"No way! Really?" gasped Grimm, before he gasped again. "Wait, I just remembered! I need to go home and see my mom and brother! He should be coming home today!"

"You better get on then, Grimm. Don't want to upset them." said Bartlett with a laugh.

They all laughed as Grimm gave them all a hasty goodbye before quickly running off to get to the airport in order to fly back to Osea as soon as possible. Seeing that, Cipher looked at the time and figured that it would be best if he left as well.

"Hey, Liz, I think we should be getting back home too."

"Aw, alread? Fine, I guess." said Elizabeth while rolling her eyes. "It was nice talking with you Nagase, come over some time! And bring your friends too!"

Elizabeth then went to Cipher's right side and he put a caring arm around her shoulders, giving a salute to everyone before him.

"Everyone, it was a pleasure. I agree with her, please visit any time."

"Where do you even live anyways, Cipher?" questioned Snow. "There's still some things we don't even know about you."

"We live at Liz's family home up north. And if you want to find out more, all you gotta do is visit."

"Mhm, In my home town of Anfang, in Belka."

Elizabeh giggled when their mouths dropped open in surprise before both she and Cipher waved and bid farewell to them before leaving the company of their friends. As they walked to their car, they shared a loving kiss, and Snow could only chuckle at them.

"Just when you think you've figured someone out, they throw you for another loop."

"Yeah…" said Bartlett, grinning. "Oh! That reminds me, Mr. President."

"Hm?"

Harling turned his head just as Bartlett pulled a disc out, one that Nagase and Snow recognized immediately, and handed it to the Osean president for safekeeping. On it, written over a piece of tape, was the words "Not until it's time". Bartlett winked and grinned, Harling taking it and glancing at the pilots before he nodded his head, understanding their intent..

"So, Pops," asked Nagase. "What was that you said about Sand Island?"


	36. Who I Am

A/N This is it! The end of AC5 everyone! One down...several more to go...yikes. We'll get there though! With this, we're one step closer to the end! Hope you all enjoyed this part, and stick around after this for the start of the second part with Ace Combat 6 - Angels of Peace! Whoop!  
Leave a favorite and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 34 - Who I Am**

 **\- Anfang, Northeastern Belka -**

 **\- September 2nd, 2011 0900 hrs -**

"I never would've thought you would be making breakfast, babe."

Elizabeth giggled as she came downstairs from the bedroom to the smell of breakfast coming from the kitchen, Cipher audibly laughing from there. She stood in the entryway connecting the living room to the kitchen and dining room, leaning against one wall to watch Cipher flip a pancake in a rather silly way.

"What? Is it wrong that I want to cook breakfast for my wife after she gave birth a couple days ago?" he asked, glancing back at her with a grin.

"Keep this up and you'll get more then hugs and kisses tonight, big guy."

She gave him one of her own grins before putting on her glasses and walking up behind him. Cipher focused on the food before him, consisting of bacon, eggs and pancakes with some freshly squeezed orange juice waiting on the side, while Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.

"Remind me again how long we've been married…"

"Thirteen years, Liz. We've been married since 1997." replied Cipher with another laugh. "Why do you always ask me?"

"You know the answer to that one, silly. It's so that I will never forget it."

Elizabeth rubbed her cheek against the base of his neck almost like she was a dog or cat affectionately.

"You're a dork, you know."

"But I'm your dork~!"

The couple laughed happily for a moment, enjoying their closeness and the smell of the delicious food. Elizabeth licked her lips and tugged on his shirt a few times, before started to mess around with him by tapping his arms just to have some fun with him before they started laughing again.

"Hey, stop that!"

"Stop what~? I'm not doing anything!"

"That's it!"

Cipher set the pancake spatula down and spun around, grabbing hold of her hands and holding them firmly up while grinning victoriously. Elizabeth pouted at his superior strength and wiggled around a little before finally giggling and leaning back while still in his grasp.

"Oh no, I'm falling…!"

Cipher rolled his eyes and pulled her right back into his arms, wrapping one around her while pressing her body against his so that there was no way she could pull the same stunt again.

"What am I going to do with you?"

"Hehe, well…"

Elizabeth put her arms around his neck and hoisted herself up, wrapping her strong legs around his waist so that her face was level with his, a grin matching Cipher's appearing.

"I don't know, Mr. Man...what _can_ you do~?"

"You seriously can't wait?"

"What? I'm happy to have my husband back! And another thing, with you being gone and leaving me alone all big and pregnant, I had to take care of myself, you know? You owe me!"

"Alright, alright, I get it. Let's make this quick, or breakfast could get ruined."

He turned around and rested Elizabeth's ass on the counter top, holding onto her lower back and moving in to kiss her before their doorbell rang loudly. A cry came from upstairs and the mood was instantly ruined, Elizabeth groaning while Cipher could only chuckle at her dismay.

"I'll handle her, you just go get the door, okay?"

"Sure thing. Feel free to bring her down too, okay? And don't worry, we still have tonight." said Cipher as he let her go before walking out of the kitchen and down the hall towards the front door.

He then unlocked the door and opened it to a man with slicked back hair, slightly tanned skin and a rather formal looking get up. To anyone else he looked like a modest business man or maybe just a travelling solicitor, he had that grin that could make anyone think of him as a scammer. But Cipher knew better, he knew exactly who it was in a matter of seconds.

Even when it had been over sixteen years since the last time he had seen the man's face, like an image burned onto paper, he recalled it almost instantly.

"...What are you doing here?"

"Not happy to see me, Cipher?" he asked with a grin. "I'm hurt. Can I come in?"

"Who is it, babe?"

Elizabeth came walking down the stairs with a pink bundle in her arms and she speed when she saw the man in front of Cipher grinning, the posture of her husband less then welcoming. She joined his side and the man's grin was replaced with another expression as he took a step back.

"Ah, I'm so sorry for intruding miss. I thought to come here and talk with your...husband, it would seem, about something important."

"Who are you, anyways?"

"Let's just say I'm a-

"Riedel." Cipher said, his eyes focused on the man's. "She knows everything...so there's no use in beating around the bush."

The man closed his mouth and snickered a little to himself before nodding his head. They eventually allowed him to enter their home and Cipher closed and locked the door behind them, keeping an eye on him at all times as they went to the living room while the smell of food continually drifted in from the kitchen.

Cipher went back into the kitchen, citing the need to finish breakfast before they talked, and so while they waited Elizabeth sat on her couch while the visitor stood next to a cozy fireplace looking around at all the pictures and memorabilia.

"So I'm assuming this is your home? Might I say, it's very comfortable."

"Um, thanks?"

She took her eyes away from him and looked down on a small opening in the pink bundle in her arms, the man looking at her and taking a few steps over in order to peek over the blanket and see what was inside.

"Oh, congratulations, by the way." he said, seeing the tranquil face of the baby inside. "Boy or girl?"

"It's a girl...and thanks."

"Hands off."

Cipher glared at him as he walked back into the living room carrying two plates of bacon, eggs and pancakes, giving one to Elizabeth while he kept his in his lap as he sat down next to her. With their daughter in one arm she used the other to balance the plate in her lap and eat off of it with a smile.

"I won't do anything, I promise." The man raised his hands up as a way to submit to Cipher's authority in the home.

"So are you going to tell me who he is and why're you're acting so hostile?"

"Elizabeth, this is Lorenz Riedel...he was Gault's Number Seven and right hand man to Kupchenko." stated Cipher with a frown. "He's also one of those people I told you about...and the same one who helped me escape."

Elizabeth gasped and covered her mouth, Lorenz chuckling to himself before humbly raising a hand and stating he was only doing the right thing at the right time.

"I can't seem to escape that part of my life, can I?"

"Why are you here?" questioned Cipher. "If you just dropped by for this, then you can-"

"There's a possibility I've found another."

Cipher stopped dead in his tracks and didn't even get to finish his sentence with Lorenz's interruption, but he didn't really care because of what he had said to stop him. He'd found another, the Belkan had said. Anyone else would've been confused, just like Elizabeth was at first, while Cipher's whole attitude changed immediately.

"Another?"

"Yes, another. I'm sure you know what that means, right? I mean...just talking with you right now, I've already determined that your spacial awareness has almost quadrupled since the last time I've seen you in person. You're stronger, I'm assuming, your body can take much more punishment, and then there's the matter of your eyes being those two colors after all. A typical side effect of our…'meddling'."

"Tell me everything you know, now." growled Cipher.

"No deal, only if you come with me."

"Come with you? To where?" asked Elizabeth. "And just what the hell is going on? Is this dealing with-"

"To where? Well, to Estovakia of course."

 **\- Bright Hill, Oured, Southeastern Osea -**

 **\- January 1st, 2015 1000 hrs -**

Just like it was five years prior on the day of the speech that brought an end to the war between Osea and Yuktobania, Bright Hill was packed full with as many people that it could fit for the speech about to take place there now. While the news broadcasting stations set up their equipment, Harling was standing behind the main stage going over the notes he had written down onto a couple of notecards before Nikanor put a hand on his friend's shoulder and smiled.

"Relax, my friend. I know you will be able to say the right words."

Harling smiled and chuckled, pocketing the notes and saying, "Perhaps you're right. I've done better without them anyways. Shall we?"

"Indeed."

Together they walked out onto the stage to the podium they used to bring an end to the war now called the Circum-Pacific War. Both men smiled for the cameras and waved as well for the public, but also for themselves since they couldn't help but remember the memories they made as friends and allies during that pivotal speech.

The two world leaders then stood shoulder to shoulder in the exact same position they once did, and slowly the crowd cheering for them began to quiet down. Eventually Bright Hill was totally silent, and the news stations began their coverage of the ordeal when Harling cleared his throat to catch their attention.

"Before I begin, allow me to read an excerpt from 'Aces, Demons, and Ghosts: Mysterious Heroes of the Belkan Conflict - OBN Journal, July 2014 Special Issue'." began Harling before turning left and receiving a newspaper from an aide that he set on the podium.

"Speculations abound over the true identity of the 'Ghosts of Razgriz', a small squadron of fighter pilots which played a key role in resolving the Circum-Pacific War, or the Belkan Conflict, and has since disappeared without a trace. Some still firmly believe that this squadron was in fact the Sand Island detachment of the Osean Air Defense Force 108th Tactical Fighter Squadron, better known as the Sand Island Squadron."

Silent whispers and murmurs came from the crowd and from anyone tuning into the broadcast being played across all the TVs who happened to be on the specific channel their respective news stations had the broadcast on.

"Feared among Yuktobanian troops as the 'Demons of Razgriz', the ferocity of this squadron's combat power is said to have weakened the resolve to fight among many in the front lines. To date, very little information has been obtained regarding the Sand Island Squadron itself. The last recorded account is a report dated December 7th, 2010, stating that all planes from the Sand Island Squadron had been shot down over the Ceres Ocean. No records about them have since been found. There are, however, numerous similarities that connect the Sand Island Squadron to the 'Ghosts of Razgriz'. Whatever the truth may be, the memory of this mysterious squadron, had as both aces and demons — and, at one point, as ghosts — still lives among us."

Harling turned over the page, the rippling of the newspaper projecting itself through the microphones set up on and around the podium, and the crowd listened as he licked his lips to wet them again.

"Vincent Harling, 48th President of the Osean Federation, has announced last year at the 2013 Osean Federation Council Meeting that in the year 2015, the government will release to the public all records from ever department pertaining to the Circum-Pacific War. In a speech, following his announcement, President Harling declared the following: 'We must let time shed light on the truth behind this conflict. In the meantime, the world has already begun to head down a new path. And this path shall go on, as long as the blaze of fire that shines through the darkness is not extinguished.'"

Harling then raised his eyes up and closed the newspaper, looking out over the crowd of expecting men and woman who were eager to hear what he and the Yuke prime minister had to tell them.

They knew that the date they chose to hold this announcement was the anniversary of the attack on Oured, and since then the city had made leaps and bounds in its recovery from the crash that destroyed so much property, and extinguished so many innocent lives. Today was a day meant for remembrance and for a moment of silence, and if what Harling just started off with was anything to go by, they knew what was coming next.

"Today is that day, my fellow countrymen. The release of the documents of the Circum-Pacific War shall be released later today, but before then, I am joined by Prime Minister Nikanor of our sister nation of Yuktobania to tell our stories. The truths that we have seen with our own eyes, of the war, and of those who were part of it."

The crowd started to clap loudly, Harling smiling a little as camera flashes consumed him and Nikanor for a moment. After a minute or so Nikanor was the one to raise his hand, and respectfully the crowd quieted down for the foreign leader and allowed him the silence needed to speak.

"First, the roots of such an unjust war. Dating back to 1995, after the end of the Belkan War, there were those in Belka who were angered at their loss against the Allied Forces, particularly, our two countries of Osea and Yuktobania."

"Calling themselves the 'Grey Men', these high ranking government and military officials, as well as business leaders too, worked in conjunction with two aggressor squadrons they inserted into the Osean Air Defense Force and Yuktobanian Air Force, respectfully. These were the 229th Tactical Fighter Squadron 'Grabacr', and the 5th Tactical Fighter Squadron 'Ofnir'. The former also masqueraded as the Osean 8492nd Squadron, to hide their ulterior motives."

Harling and Nikanor went on to fully explain how their respective governments were infiltrated by agents that removed them from power, and how they were locked away and stripped of their most basic human rights. Nikanor was detained within a secluded camp somewhere in the Yuktobanian tundra, and Harling in Stier Castle deep within Belka.

They told the world of the conditions they were forced to live with, until they were both rescued by those who had figured out the deception occurring behind the scenes.

"But that is enough about us. Right now, we'll discuss our own personal matters with those who were the real heroes of this war."

"The Ghosts of Razgriz, the Demons of Razgriz, whatever you would like to call them." said Harling. "To me, however, they were my personal squadron...the Razgriz Air Command Squadron."

A huge hush fell over the crowd now when Harling referred to the almost mythical squadron in such a way. That squadron not only appeared to be a very real squadron, but one personally employed and commanded by the president of Osea himself?

It was astonishing to hear, and they still had more coming.

"For that, however, we shall let others do the talking for us."

Harling then turned his body to the left and one of his aides walked out onto the stage to receive a disc from him, the crowd murmuring as to what the disc contained. The aide walked back off the stage and Nikanor waited silently with Harling as television screens set up on either side of the stage for the viewing pleasure of the audience turned on and showed the symbol of Bright Hill for a brief moment over a black background.

This same image was fed to the news teams there on scene to broadcast over their respective channels as well, so that their audiences around the world weren't in the dark. Another few seconds passed before the screen vanished and turned into an image of what seemed to be the back wall of an unknown hangar, and a simple fold-out chair resting what everyone could assume was the source of the video.

Then before their very eyes, one by one came on the members of the mythical Razgriz squadron, introducing themselves to the world and telling a little bit about themselves. Whether it was where they were born, what school they went too, or just something about themselves that they thought would be worth sharing, they said so. Kei Nagase, Hans Grimm, and Marcus Snow, all three of them spoke.

When they were finished, the camera cut and skipped a few minutes to show that it was edited to make up for the lapse in time. Then came one last person, a man with slightly messy brown hair and a little bit of a beard, as well as a sling holding a busted arm and some healing scratches on his face.

"That thing's on, right?" he asked, nodding when the person replied with a yes.

The man then sat down in the chair and adjusted his busted arm into a more comfortable position before fixing his gaze on the camera, letting the world see his unique different colored eyes.

"Well then...I presume that if you're watching this, then Harling must've kept his promise. I bet you're wondering who I am, right? Well…'who I am'...is that my name's Aleksandar Costner, or Alek for short, and...there's a lot I have to get off of my chest. Firstly...I was born in Dinsmark, capital of Belka, back before everything went to shit. When it did I left and instead of letting the skills I developed while at the Belkan Air Force Academy, I became a mercenary pilot and fought for money. Then came along 1995…"

The crowd were deeply intrigued by this person speaking, since he spoke in a way that was as different and unique as the red and gold eyes he sported. There was something about him that told them all he had seen more then his fair share, and was more mature then even Snow.

"The outbreak of the Belkan War arrived and I was hired by Ustio to compensate for their small force and lack of good pilots. Turns out I got paired with a pretty famous mercenary at the time, a guy named Larry Foulke. They called him 'Solo Wing Pixy' because he was able to return to base even after losing one of his jet's wings on a mission. From that, we were made into the 6th Air Division's 66th Tactical Fighter Squadron...the Galm Team."

With astounding bravery and almost a six sense for the reactions the world made to his international reveal, Cipher laid everything out that he had within himself for the world to hear. How he had been the Demon Lord of the Round Table who fought the Belkans and the AWWNB, which he also stated were the ones who attacked Oured, and how he'd been the leader of the Wardog Squadron all the way up until they faked their deaths and became the Ghosts of Razgriz.

Nothing was left out on the table, and with his final closing remarks he leaned forward and addressed the camera directly with an expression that oozed significance for what he was going to say next.

"Listen, everyone...Nagase, Grimm, Snow and I...please, don't try to find us. We're alive and well, don't worry about that, but we want to be left alone too. We've had our time in the skies, well, perhaps not me, but you get my point. But don't think we won't be waiting and watching for when we're needed again."

Cipher smiled and winked at the camera before giving a salute to the world. "Until that time comes, which I hope doesn't come too soon, everyone. Farewell."

 **\- St. Petersburg Air Base, St. Petersburg, Northeastern Estovakia -**

 **\- January 18th, 2015 1357 hrs -**

"There he is, that guy again…"

"Who is that guy...one of the mercenaries? I thought they all left after the end of the war two years ago."

St. Petersberg Air Base was one of only a couple of large air bases belonging to the Estovakian nation, since the country was still trying to rebuild itself after the civil war that concluded two years prior. The Eastern Faction were the victors, only because they weren't above hiring foreign mercenaries underhandedly to boost their own forces, and for another very big reason. They were able to get their hands on classified Belkan documents from Project Pendragon, and with a certain individual's oversight, they constructed a powerful aerial fleet of five heavy command cruisers that completely dominated the skies and swiftly won them victories time and time again.

Those very vessels were off the coast doing a training mission out over the Razgriz Straits, leaving its pilots there at the base, and they could not stop talking about the two pilots who had remained there despite being mercenaries.

"You don't know who that guy is…? He's the Demon Lord!" whispered one to his buddy next to him. "Didn't you watch that broadcast?"

"What about the other guy…?"

"That's the Shark, Akula they call him...he was the leader of an elite Yuke squadron during that war a few years ago. His records gotten so good they're comparing him to that other Yuke that finally got caught in Oured…"

"Zubov, right? That's the guy?"

"Yeah, that's his name."

"I heard that they're working with the Strigon Team…"

Their whispers were quieted down when the leader of that very team they were speaking of walked in, his steely eyed gaze going once around the room before he nod his head once.

"Everyone, we will be conducting drills in 0100 hours once again."

There were groans that resonated from some of the Estovakian pilots, but a sharp glance from the older man put them to bed real quick.

"Might I ask why?" questioned the man sitting with the Yuke, his left eye opening to reveal a bright golden iris.

"Preparation for the coming battles ahead. In several months time...we are invading Emmeria."


	37. Prelude to the Storm

A/N Welcome back everyone! I am so sorry about the hiatus, school started I didn't want to take a risk and screw myself over at the start. Im finding little pieces of time here and there to devote to writing, so don't worry, I'm still here!

Also the new DLC missions for AC7? The Alicorn? The new villain?

MY CRISP WHITE SHEETS?!

Aaaanyways, done recovering after the end of AC5? No worries, we're moving right along now into Ace Combat 6 now, which means we are now one step closer to getting to Ace Combat 7! I'm just as eager as all of you to get there because I know exactly what I'm going to do with that, hehe.

Anyways, guys, let's start it off once again where we left things off in the last chapter! Leave a favorite and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 35 - Prelude to the Storm**

 _Fallen From Grace_

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Oured, a shining jewel among the cities of the world. It was the capital of one of the world's leading superpowers, and home to dozens of businesses both national and international. Some considered it the most important city in the world, and they'd be right. Home to not only the United Nations, but the World Trade Center too. It was the centralized hub for practically all of Osea's companies, and dozens of other international brands that utilized Oured's impressive port facilities for trading.

It was the envy of the world, everyone wanted to either live in Oured or be like those who lived there.

Unfortunately, it wasn't all glitz and glamor. The jewel it was meant to be, despite its shining outer surface, inside there was still traces of a tainted core. Oured, or Osea as a whole, had produced some bad apples over the years. A deal they made with Belka can argued was the primary cause for the Belkan War. Joshua Bristow and Anthony Palmer, two exceptional fighter pilots that participated in said war, that at its abrupt conclusion after the Seven Pillars they and dozens of other Osean pilots and personnel defected to the start-up rebel organization "A World With No Boundaries". While Palmer would eventually return to society as an upstanding citizen, it was Bristow and his squadron that would attempt to assassinate the president, and eventually participate in what has been called the Battle of Oured several years prior. It was a devastating blow to Oured's crown city, construction efforts are still ongoing after the enemy's flying headquarters crash landed.

The President, and the people for that matter, never discovered the original source from where the one in charge of the attack came from. And they never will. Nor will they never find out that within their very heart was a shadow that kept to itself, biding its time patiently, just as it had since the very first "modern" war.

The night sky as their witness, a collection of individuals converged on a single building that to most was inconspicuous, easily passed over by the citizen's eye as nothing more then a simple office building in downtown. What no one ever realized were the muzzles of sniper rifles constantly watching the structure from all sides for any signs of unauthorized entry. Hidden cameras guarding the nearby alleys and streets, scanning every person's face with advanced identification software that determined who they were, their jobs, either current or past, how much money they made, everything. The most important piece was if they posed a threat or not.

Those who were allowed to attend approached the front entrance of the building, where two normal looking security guards would check their person or any luggage, like a suitcase, they were carrying. All very formal and part of routine, to keep up appearances.

A few men had just finished being checked before a black vehicle drove up to the front and stopped. The door was opened by the driver and out stepped a rather tall and lanky individual with slicked back brown hair, wearing an all black wardrobe of a suit, pants, dress shirt and shoes. Only two objects were of different colors. The yellow tie he wore, and pasty white, blank, emotionless mask that covered his entire face.

He approached the group of men waiting with the guards and all of them respectfully bowed their heads as if he were some sort of royalty or leader, and he was let past without any trouble. Taking long strides the man walked to the elevators and pressed the button for the top floor.

The elevator doors slid shut and he was taken up from the ground floor, the ride ending when the digital floor counter froze at floor fifty. He exited the elevator and walked along a red carpet towards a formal reception area consisting of red carpet, a circular desk and benches built along the circumference for long waits. The receptionist desk was occupied by a woman who smiled at his approach.

"Right this way." she said, not needing a name or anything from him.

"Thank you."

These were always the same, he'd seen countless copies of this reception area across all of the meeting places he uses. He liked the uniformity, the uniting aspect.

Past the dark oak doors was a short passage that connected to another set of doors that were flanked by two men wearing similar outfits to his own, however they were missing the yellow tie.

The passage had red carpet just like the reception area outside, and hanging on the walls to his left and right were two identical relief friezes depicting an image of an ancient Humanity gathering and bowing down and worshipping a tower that stretched into the clouds.

Of course they were only copies of the original, he knew exactly where the original was. Despite that fact, it was a symbolic piece to him and he liked that it was put up at all of the other meeting places just like this one.

The suite guards didn't even need to look at the man as they opened the doors for him, leading into an almost pitch black boardroom with the panoramic view of the city hidden behind rotating blinds turned for privacy. A single light cast its arc down onto the center of a table, showing a clear glass of water sitting at every position. The light was also just enough that the man could see a person standing behind each chair, waiting for permission to sit. Their eyes rested upon the man as the light from the corridor outside illuminated his silhouette for a brief moment before the doors closed.

"Gentlemen."

The man walked around the congregation to the head of the table and turned, facing the gathered figures with his hands behind his back.

"Place your markers forward."

One by one the men gathered at the table removed a coin from their pockets and placed it on the table within reach of the light.

Six markers were put forward, and as a final addition the man placed his on the table as well, completing the circle. With that the men then all took their seats, their eyes resting on the head of the table when he took his seat and rested his arms on its finished surface.

"So begins another chapter of this meeting of the High Table. Firstly, reports."

"Things are going well in the south. It won't be long before we've consolidated enough power to challenge the ones currently in power." replied one of the men.

"Good, good. Have tests begun on his projects?"

"Yes, they have."

He nod his head and held his hands, moving his head slightly to the other side of the table. "What of the status of the north?"

"Everything has fallen into place. The people have been brainwashed to fully believe what they're being told by the Generals. Just like before, with the Belkans and the Eruseans, war is inevitable."

"Good...very good."

"Why must we instigate all these wars?"

All eyes fell upon the one who spoke, his voice ringing loudly among them. The head of the table leaned forward some, focusing on the speaker.

"Why do you question this?"

"All im saying is that why waste time moving all of the pieces into place, when we could grab control from the shadows in one swift motion?" asked the speaker. "Our agents are located world wide, in every single nation. The chance to strike is there."

"You do have a point, you are correct. But after Harling and Nikanor's silent removal were brought to the public, it has become much harder to do the same. The element of surprise has been lost."

The other members of the table murmured amongst themselves after the head's answer, and the speaker's rumblings were satisfied.

"Gentlemen, I'm aware that you're hiding doubts about our plan moving forward. Our previous leader, Kupchenko, failed spectacularly here several years prior, that is undeniable. His willingness to utilize nuclear weapons is also a twisting of our need to maintain this world's health, that it will be ripe for when we peacefully begin the new era."

The head stood up from his seat and held his hands behind his back, looking down over them. He took this stance to make them know his position is above all of them, that his word was law. He was chosen for this role, and he would absolutely not allow any doubts to exist among them.

"We must realize, however, Kupchenko's additions to the organization have done nothing but benefit it. He was a brilliant scientist, it's because of his discovery and his work that stems from Project Pendragon that we've been able to grow and fill in the gaps that have been empty for years. He was the leader for a reason, his tendencies aside, we all shared the same end goal. I share the same goal."

He pressed his hands on the table, looking at them all. Perfectly in the dark through his mask he could see their doubt start to fade from their faces, he was winning them over.

"Still, Kupchenko failed, and as a result he cost us money, resources, and he made the world all the more cautious of monsters lurking in the shadows. Which is why it's imperative we continue to bide our time, and build up strength in the shadows. In the meantime, we continue our plan to simultaneously weaken our potential adversaries, learn from them as they wage war, and nurture the world's view on war, their hatred for it. Then, and only then, when the time is right, we show ourselves once again to the world. And when we do...we will not be seen as villains...but as saviors. Our dream of the New Era shall then be realized...unity shall be achieved."

The man smiled evilly behind his mask when his audience began to clap, fully in support of him now. He had accomplished one of his goals for this meeting, to finally dispel all doubts about his ascension to the position he was in now. Once their clapping settled down, the man stood up straight and the others followed suit, standing up. and pushing in their chairs.

"And with that…" the man bent down, picking up his glass of water. "Another chapter of the High Table ends."

The other men picked their glasses up and raised them towards the masked man, each of them locking gazes with the white mask he wore. Then each man at the table recited one of the oldest quotes of their organization, a staple of fealty to the one who sat above them all.

"I have served. I will be of service." they repeated, one by one until they had all spoken it.

"Yes...you all have served."

The man then lifted his mask, revealing his face as he took a sip of the water, the men following suite. In a matter of moments, the men suddenly froze up in utter shock. Some spit out their water and others threw down their glasses onto the table and floor, shattering them and spilling water everywhere.

In utter silence the man watched as the men sputtered and gasped for air, the fast-acting poison the water was laced with making quick work of them. Soon, there was nothing but dead bodies surrounding the man, and he merely lowered his mask and left the board room to another man standing outside the door just before the guards.

"It went well?"

"Yes. Begin the search for new seats. You know my requirements."

"Of course. I'll begin immediately Anyone that you have in mind that I should go to first?"

"Yes, actually...one comes to mind."

"Who, sir?"

"The one who was regarded as a hero...despite being on the losing side of a war years ago."

 **\- Gracemeria Air Force Base, Gracemeria, Capital of Emmeria -**

 **\- August 15th, 2015 1459 hrs -**

"Hey! Hey Talisman, over here!"

A man stuck his tongue out in a goofy manner and hiked his arm back, football in hand, and delivered a perfect spiral to the one who called out to him. Ducking and weaving through some of the grounds crew and mechanics who staffed the other team, the pilots cheered when their guy passed the imaginary endzone line and scored.

"Oh yeah! Windhover strikes again, baby!" The scorer spiked the football and started doing a dance.

He was quickly stopped by some of the mechanics when in their laughter shoved him around a little bit, prompting him to laugh back at them.

The guy who threw the football, a young man with a clean-shaven appearance, messy blonde hair with hints of brown in the roots, and a unique pair of eyes, joined in on the festivities with his fellow pilots. They had won against their opponents and as was traditions between them, the losers had to go and buy the winners lunch and drinks at their favorite place.

"Hop in, I'll drive."

"Can't wait for you guys to meet the lady friend, hehe."

"Already? Windhover, you gotta stop doing this, man!"

The pilots jeered at their friend who pushed and shoved the others back while fake laughing before climbing into the back of one of the base jeeps, a second and third getting filled up as well. The convoy then drove its way from the large naval base to the city on the bay, the glorious capital of Emmeria, Gracemeria. The midday sun shone brightly over the new and old halves of the city, separated by King' Bay but connected by one of the city's landmarks, King's Bridge.

Looking at Gracemeria as they crossed the bridge was always a treat, especially with the view of the city's most stunning and historical landmark, Gracemeria Castle. There within those mighty stone walls sat the Golden King upon his throne, the statue of Aurelius II, the founder of the modern Republic of Emmeria during the 15th century.

Eventually after making it to New Town, it didn't take them long to find their usual place to have a nice meal. It was a Italian joint that, despite being in the new half of the city, gave off all the feelings of being in the old. Brick fire ovens, wooden chairs and tables, the music, all of it gave off that old, classic feel.

They sat at their usual table and sitting with the pilot named Windhover was the lady friend he told them about, a round of introductions occurring once they were seated.

"Everyone I'd like to introduce you to Enisa." said Windhover with a grin, his arm around her.

"Hello everyone." she smiled.

"Nice to meet you." the blonde man put his hand out with a smile. "I go by Talisman."

They shook hands and Talisman leaned back, taking a sip from his water glass as the other pilots sitting with them introducing themselves one by one to Windhover's date.

There was Windhover's, his real name being Daniel Pollini, wingmen Saker and Lanner, the only girl in his squadroin. They comprised the Republic of Emmeria Air Force's 8th Air Division, 15th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Then Windhover's partner in crime introduced himself and his squadron. Their names were Freddie "Avalanche" Durand, the flight lead, and his wingmen Blizzard and Serac.

Once introductions were done, the waiter came by and took their drink orders before leaving. Now it was time for shooting the shit and having a good time with one another.

"So have you guys heard about the Stovies?" asked Lanner, looking at the males of the table.

"Yeah, the border flights are seeing more of them every day. One fighter after the other, sometimes even entire squadrons conducting border patrol." replied Serac. "It's happening way more frequently then our own patrols, that's for sure."

Talismon nod his head and leaned back, thanking the waiter when his beer was delivered and drinking it before speaking. "Can you really blame them? I know we're not the bad guys or anything, but you have to wonder...considering their economy still hasn't recovered from Ulysses, they'd be paranoid about getting attacked again."

"I don't think their paranoid, they're flexing their muscles," said Avalanche with a shrug. "Especially considering all of the news about their new leadership and all the nationalistic propoganda bullshit they're spewing."

"I still can't get my head wrapped around the absolute bombshell those Oseans dropped on us with the release of those records!" exclaimed Windhover, the rest of the Emmerians immediately agreeing.

"Totally!" said Blizzard. "A mercenary pilot that fought in three wars? That's insane!"

"Not just 'a mercenary', Blizz. We're talking the Demon Lord of the Round Table, Mobius 1, and the Razgriz! All three in just _one_ guy?!"

Talisman could hardly contain his excitement when talking of the now world-renowned fighter pilot, his exposition through video along with the other Razgriz pilots during the public declassification of the Circum-Pacific War records still the talk of today. No one pilot had ever achieved such legendary status, to be named the ace of three separate countries, with a kill count in an entire league of its own.

People have already been referring to the Demon Lord by the nickname "Ace of Aces", and quite frankly, no one, not even the pilots sitting at the table waiting for their pizza, could argue with that.

Windhover said he could take the guy down, but his bluff was immediately met with laughs and shoves from the other pilots to shut his trap. His date laughed at their comradery and hilarity, and they enjoyed their time together at the table.

Despite the clear and sunny skies outside over Gracemeria, not a single soul saw the storm brewing just outside their very capital.

After years of peace...the Republic of Emmeria was going to get the shock of its life.


	38. Invasion of Gracemeria

A/N Hello everyone! I am sorry once again for the long hiatus, but with sports and being a History major and studying German at the same time, it's like I literally had no time. But now that summer is here and all this Coronavirus shit is going on, I ca get back to this, because I really wanted to finish this

Moving on, I will for-warn everyone, for some reason when I was writing Ace Combat 6 previously, I had trouble with it because I ended up getting writer's block at some point, and while I am hoping it doesn't happen again, if it does, please be patient with me like you all have with this story. I love every single one of you, and I feel so thankful that you'd spend your time reading my story!

Leave a favorite and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 36 - Invasion of Gracemeria**

 _Through the Heart of a Nation_

* * *

 **\- Gracemeria, Capital of the Republic of Emmeria -**

 **\- 48°18'35"N 95°53'43"E -**

 **\- August 30th, 2015 0600 hrs -**

The alarm clock only got two beeps off before a hand smacked the snooze button to shut it up, followed by a flick of the switch that turned off the alarm function entirely for the clock. With a groan, the bed sheets that the hand and arm originated from began to stir. Slowly Talisman's head emerged and he blinked, the rest of his body following as the covers fell away, exposing his topless upper body and the boxers he wore.

As usual, part of his body hated waking up early at this time, and the other part knew that it was a necessary part of his morning routine on base. It was another normal day, with another normal sortie, and then it'll end with another normal meeting with Windhover and others at their favorite bar.

" _It's gonna be a long day regardless. I wonder if we'll actually meet anyone along the border today?_ " Talisman thought to himself while yawning. " _They were getting pretty ancy for a while, but now they hardly ever show up._ "

Talisman got up out of bed and he shuffled to the bathroom in his quarters, a flick of the switch turning the lights on so he could properly see where the sink and his bathroom utensils were. Brush the teeth, swish the mouth water, comb the hair and shower, it was all a ritual by now. Full auto. Once that was all done, the shower being last, he was awake enough to function at eighty percent mental capacity, just enough to walk himself from his room after dressing to the Mess Hall to get some coffee.

"Morning, Talisman!" spoke Avalanche, the other early-riser Talisman met the most often. "How 'bout popping a squat with me? I got some news for you."

"Sure thing." he replied while grabbing a coffee mug. Once it was filled with coffee, and he deposited some sugar and poured some creamer inside, Talisman walked over to Avalanche and sat down with him.

"So, get this, I-"

Talisman paused him by raising his hand as he started stirring his coffee with a disposable spoon, Avalanche rolling his eyes and smirking by the interruption. When it was properly mixed, Talisman brought the cup to his lips and took a slow sip, making an exaggerated expression of pleasure as he drank the coffee before setting the cup down and sighing.

"Are you done, drama queen?"

"Why yes. What's up?" snickered Talisman.

"The Base Commander was just in here getting his early breakfast. And guess what?" Avalanche grinned while looking at his friend, Talisman guessing he was gonna get a bombshell response when he asked about it.

"He has a foxy grandpa?"

"Shaddup! No!" Avalanche laughed, "We don't have a sortie today! We're getting the day off!"

"No way! Seriously?"

"Hell yeah man!"

Talisman laughed as he set his coffee cup down for a moment to high-five Avalanche, the news of no sorties probably the best thing that he could have heard at this time. Because of that, his whole day was now free to do whatever he could come up with, though he most likely was just going to hop into his jet and do some flight maneuvers over the base to make sure he didn't get rusty.

Plus, he could never understand why, but he always had a fascination with just getting up into the air and flying around. It was always relaxing to him.

"Damn man, that's awesome. Thanks for the good news." Talisman said, Avalanche grinning back.

"Just doing the work a good man should do, Talisman. Hey, want to go out later at lunch with me and the other guys for some drinks?"

"I'll think about it. The last time we did that we ended up going for the rest of the day and the Base Commander got on our case about that."

Avalanche shrugged and waved as he walked off. "Whatever. Better tell me before noon then!"

"Yeah, yeah. Coffee time."

He picked his mug back up and made his way outside onto the tarmac, gazing out towards the waters of the bay and the rising sun that would soon emerge over the horizon, a smile growing on his face. Watching this reminded him of why he loved Gracemeria so much, and he hoped that today would be another nice day just like the previous several were.

"How could this day possibly get any better?"

As he stood there, watching the sunrise, far out from the bay in the Fuscum Sea, a large force of Estovakian aircraft were circling and preparing themselves around a massive flying contraption of sorts that was reminiscent of a manta ray, with huge sweeping wings and an open mouth at the front from which aircraft would launch out of by the use of aircraft carrier steam catapults. Standing out among the various Yuke and Estovakian-made export versions of Yuke aircraft surrounding the large behemoth was a two man flight, one with a pitch black Raptor look-alike with a shark mouth design on the nose, and the other with an F-15C with blue stripes on the tips of the wings, vertical stabilizers, and horizontal stabilizers.

All of the men knew what they were about to do, what was about to happen. Today was the day that they were going to attack their neighbor, a country that for the past several years since the fall of the Ulysses asteroid that wrecked their country, had done nothing but try to help them in the best way possible.  
Did any of the pilots have any doubts, and private thoughts on whether they should go through with it or not? If they did, nobody said a word. Not the Estovkians, not the two mercenaries with them in the foreign aircraft. Not a word.

 **\- Gracemeria, Capital of the Republic of Emmeria -**

 **\- August 30, 2015 1149 hrs -**

A woman with blonde hair tied back in a ponytail sat reading a small book at the lawn table in her front yard, the shade of the tree she sat under protecting her from the midday sun shining above the city. A soft and pleasant song was playing on the radio sitting beside her, and it fit well with the tranquil chirping of the birds and the rustling of the leaves from the breeze.

" _This day couldn't get any better…_ " thought Melissa Herman, who turned the page in her book.

She was waiting outside with a blue polka-dotted lunchbox for her daughter, who instead of having to stay inside in her school was going on a field trip with her class to the old half of Gracemeria, to the famous castle that was one of their city's most well known and most visited landmarks.

"Here we go!"

Melissa turned her head and smiled seeing her daughter Matilda exit her modest yellow house from the front, a spring in her step, and skip over to her mother with a bright smile on her face.

"Got everything?" Melissa asked when she stood up and gave her daughter the lunchbox.

"Yeah, I'm okay." replied Matilda. "Everything I need is in my backpack!"

The school bus Matilda rode everyday to school, this time its destination the castle, drove up their street and stopped at their house. The doors opened up with a hiss as the engine rumbled, the sounds of the rambunctious children already inside reaching their ears.

"Here honey. An offering for the king." said Melissa as she gave her daughter a silver Dobica.

Matilda pocketed the coin and gave her mother a hug before walking towards the bus, waving at her from over her shoulder.

"See you later Mom!"

"Listen to your teacher, Okay? And give the king my best."

"Dance with an angel, Mom." said Matilda with a giggle, Melissa smiling back. Her daughter entered the bus and with another hiss the doors slid shut before they drove off, Matilda waving one last time through the window next to her seat.

The bus disappeared down the street and Melissa held her arms across her stomach, slowly shaking her head with a smile on her face at her daughter's catchphrase.

That was her way of saying goodbye. Melissa's husband was an Air Force pilot, and referred to the fighter jets they flew as "angels". When he'd go on a mission that kept him away from home for an extended period of time, she'd tell him in frustration to go dance with his angels. Matilda grew up hearing this, and now she uses it all the time.

Melissa returned to her chair, sat down, and picked up her book to continue where she left off for a brief moment before setting it down again and gazing out from her front yard over the city. Her neighborhood was on the newer side of Gracemeria, in a residential area built up on a gentle sloping hill that gave a lot of houses a breathtaking view. She could see most of Novusmeria, the King's Bridge that stretched across King's Bay and connected the new half to Chester City, the old half of Gracemeria where Matilda was on her way to. For the most part, Chester City wasn't as great a sight to see as Novusmeria, it's selling point being its older design and nostalgic appearance.

What made it worthwhile to see was the large structure that stood proudly atop a citadel that dominated the Chester City skyline. Gracemeria Castle, the oldest structure in the city, and the home of the leader that helped Emmeria to prosper during ancient times, King Aurelius II. Even to this day, in the throne room of that famous castle, the king continues to watch over our city in the form of an eloquent golden statue of his likeness. Known by the populace as the "Golden King", he's been smiling for a good six hundred years. He was a gentle ruler that wasn't the most physically well built of kings, but with the giant suit of armor he wore atop his steed, his enemies were convinced to surrender without a single fight.

And afterwards, they found such warmth in the smile he would give them, that they bowed down to him in humility. His smiling face still touches the hearts of Emmeria's people, and those who come from across the globe to see the smiling king. That's the face her daughter and her classmates will be seeing today on their field trip.

After gazing out over the city for a few more minutes, Melissa returned to her book and continued to read the current chapter she was on with a smile on her face. Eventually after a song she knew and liked named "A Brand New Day", the radio broadcasters voice entered the airways and started rambling on about information that Melissa didn't really care to pay attention to.

She wished that the song was still playing, since it seemed to be a perfect match for the sunny weather. it really seemed as though the day couldn't get any better than this.

Suddenly the loud roar of jet engines screamed by overhead, Melissa snapping her head back just in time to catch two gray and black colored Su-27s soaring through the sky above her neighborhood. At first she was confused, since when had her country started using those kinds of jets in their air force, and why had they appeared so suddenly?

Her curiosity swiftly turned to horror when she watched as the two jets fired two missiles each at one of the support structures of the King's Bridge, engulfing a portion of the metal construction in smoke and fire. As the smoke cleared, the metal was revealed to be so twisted and deformed that in a matter of moments, that section of the bridge began to give way and collapse, sending a multitude of cars and trucks careening over the edge and down towards the water below.

Melissa felt her entire body go numb and her heart rate speed up intensely as she watched more fighters soon enter the airspace above Gracemeria. They began attacking other parts of the city, striking buildings and streets with their weapons. The castle disappeared behind a pillar of smoke and fire.

What was happening?

 **\- Gracemerica Air Force Base -**

With the surprise attack on the city occurring with no sense of preparation or warning, needless to say, the entire base was a chaotic mess trying to get pilots up into the air as soon as possible. Talisman himself had haphazardly woken himself up from a little shuteye in his room to get dressed in his flight suit and run outside to get to his jet, bumping into a few people on his way there and apologizing over his shoulder.

"Attention all pilots! Our capital city Gracemeria is under attack by unknown aircraft! Damage from the attack is widespread throughout the city! All planes, scramble and intercept all threats immediately!"

The Base Commander repeated the order over and over over the base loudspeakers, like some kind of chant meant to inspire the pilots to get up into the air even quicker then what they were trying to do.

" _Why the hell is this happening?! What did we do to deserve this?!_ " he thought frantically as he finally reached his jet, climbing up into the cockpit and snagging his helmet.

An F-15E Strike Eagle, all gray, his perfect choice for a combination of air and ground attack capability. What was different about his variant compared to the standard F-15E though was that miraculously he didn't need a second person in the cockpit to be the Weapon Systems Operator. He was able to simultaneously perform both that task and be the pilot at the same time, a fact that already impressed plenty of his peers, but he just chalked it up to luck.

Today he wasn't even sure though which would be the more prevalent threat, so he didn't even bother focusing on one armament over the other. With the weapons loaded on, he slipped on his helmet and started up his jet's functions to get ready to taxi out.

He turned on the radio and almost instantly his ears were filled with the frantic chatter of the other pilots scurrying out onto the tarmac to take off, Avalanche and Windhover among the voices.

"They took out King's Bridge!"

"Who's even attacking us?"

"What the hell is going on!? Somebody answer me!"

Talisman cursed under his breath as he shifted the thrust forward ever so slightly, pushing his plane forward out of the hanger to join the growing line of jets heading to the runway. The grounds crew were flying around like ants, something Talisman would normally get a little laugh out of, but not today.

As he got into position on the runway, Avalanche and Windhover pulled him behind him on either one of his wings their own signature aircraft, Avalanche in a Super Hornet, and Windhover in the F-16C Fighting Falcon. Talisman glanced back at either pilot and through the noise and chatter, they each gave him a thumbs up and a nod that they were ready.

"Garuda 1, Avalanche, Windhover, you're cleared for takeoff."

"Got it!" Talisman gunned the engines and with a surge of speed, he and his two friends zooming down the runway.

When they cleared the ground Talisman withdrew the landing gear into the body of the aircraft, Windhover and Avalanche doing the same as they rapidly accelerated up into the sky until they had leveled out and became some of the first jets to get up into the air, with more coming up behind them.

"Garuda 1, runway takeoff complete. Good luck!"

"Roger Control Tower, whoever they are, they're gonna pay big time."

Talisman made a wide swoop around the base,waiting for more of their allies to join them in the air, including the rest of Windhover and Avalanche squadron, since attacking a superior invading force wouldn't do them any good.

"All aircraft under airborne command's jurisdiction following takeoff, this is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill!"

"Windhover, Avalanche, as soon as your mates get up into the air, follow me and the rest of the boys. We've got a city to protect."

"Roger that Talisman." replied Avalanche. "Shouldn't be too long now. I can see Blizzard and Serac now."

Once both squadrons formed up, and the rest of the pilots stationed at the base were also up in the air, the large air group started flying out from Gracemeria Air Force base towards their city, including a large E-767 that joined the pack near the rear. The interior of the large craft was not quite as hectic as the base they left, but they were still trying to gather all the intel they could from the quickly developing situation in and around Gracemeria.

At the front of it all was a man with his arms crossed over his chest, a straight-faced no-nonsense attitude surrounding him as he gazed at a situation overlay put up onto a monitor before him. On his head was a pair of headphones linked to the radio frequency all of the Emmerian pilots were using.

"Airborne Warning and Control System Ghost Eye to all scrambling defensive craft." he said to all pilots in the air. "The situation has not yet been ascertained. We must implement an emergency reformation. Follow your individual instructions."

While he was addressing the pilots, Talisman was leaning back in his flight seat, thinking over what kind of strategies he'd have to employ against the unknown aircraft. They were nearing the city and he was about to devote himself fully to combat before he heard Ghost Eye directly address him, taking him out of his thoughts.

"Could you repeat that Ghost Eye?"

"Garuda 1, you do not have a wingman." Ghost Eye repeated. "Let's see, let's see...Shamrock. Shamrock, are you alone too?"

"Yeah, I am."

Talisman glanced over his shoulder to see a lone F-16C start to speed up from the rear of the air group, passing by Avalanche's squadron on his way to the front where Talisman was. He'd heard that name before, Shamrock. He was one of the new guys transferred to the base recently, and Talisman had seen him around a few times. He looked like a nice guy, pretty book smart too, and he wasn't that bad of a pilot either.

"Very well. As of now you're Garuda 2."

"Roger that." He raised his altitude to join Talisman on his left wing, leveling out behind him.

"So I'm Garuda 2. Garuda 1, I've got your back."

"Call me Talisman. You're the new guy right, Shamrock?"

"Yeah. No time for introductions now though. Go ahead and I'll follow your lead, never was good with directions anyhow." Shamrock replied, receiving a laugh from Talisman.

"No worries. Stick with me and follow along, and we'll get through this a-ok. Never had a wingman before though so hopefully this all works out." said Talisman with a little grin.

Playtime was over though in the next few seconds. The defense force had reached the outskirts of Chester City and the pilots were able to see for themselves the destruction that had already occurred within their capital city.

Several smoke columns were spiraling skyward from various sections of the city, a few close to the castle and one from the section of the King's Bridge that had been destroyed. A mixture of anger and horror swept through the Emmerian pilots upon seeing the carnage, making them even more hungry to dive into the action and repel the attackers.

"Garuda Team, you are authorized to engage any hostile aircraft above Gracemeria. All pilots, support one another to achieve a mission success. Engage." ordered Ghost Eye as he let loose the hounds he had been keeping back.

"Roger that!"

"Now that's something I can get behind! Let's do this Windhover!"

"Right behind you, Avalanche. Lanner, Saker, with me."

The two squadrons formed up together and broke away from the larger group to commence their attack, more of their fighters doing the same thing. Talisman looked down with a slight grin at some of the fighters attacking their city and hoped that they had said their prayers, because the advantage they had was about to be swiftly taken away from them.

"Let's go Shamrock. Let's dive right in!"

"May the Golden King smile upon us."

With sharp bank downward, he and Shamrock finally entered the fray, joining their comrades in the fight to save their city and push back the invading attackers.

Talisman started reading the situation in a heart beat upon entering the battle, his eyes looking from left to right, up and down, looking at any enemy fighters that happened to come into his vision so that he could read where they were going, and try to guess what they'd do next.

Granted this was the first time he had been able to use these skills he found he had from mock battles in an actual engagement, so far it was doing the same for him now as it was during those times.

"Alright...locked in. Let's do this."

"Reinforcements. Stay alert." announced one of the pilots to his allies when they noticed the Emmerian fighters enter the airspace.

"Ghost Eye to Garuda 1, Talisman, and Garuda 2, Shamrock. We are currently in a state of emergency. Our nation is under attack by unknown forces. Do whatever you can to fend off the invasion."

"Roger, AWACS." replied Talisman, he and Shamrock quickly engaging the hostile fighter jets.

He recognized them as Yuktobanian fighters, Su-27s, but he had no idea why Yuktobania would be this far north and even attacked them when there was no reason for them to do so. If he wanted to think more about that he would've, but he had to focus on attacking and shooting down the unknown aircraft.

He fired a pair of XMAAs at two of the fighter jets, one managing to avoid the missile and the other not so lucky when their fuselage was struck and turned to fire and smoke. Shamrock split off from Talisman's side for a moment to pursue and shoot down another Su-27 before they joined back up again to continue their attack.

"Fox 2! Yeah!" exclaimed Avalanche when he scored a kill. " Got 'em!"

"This is Windhover of the 15th Squadron. The enemy is expanding its field of attack. Stay alert."

Down in King's Bay, an allied Emmerian fleet that was in the vicinity of Gracemeria made their entrance under the King's Bridge and started using their missile weaponry and guns to start assisting their air forces to defend their city.

As they were pursuing another pair of fighters, Talisman noticed one of the Flankers drop down thankfully into a park and crash in a ball of fire, a sigh of relief escaping his lungs.

"Please be safe…" Shamrock murmured, Talisman hearing him and glancing back at his wingman.

Was he concerned for the people in the city, or did he actually have family that were at risk and his primary concern was with them? He didn't spend too long thinking about it though.

Now that the enemy had to worry about naval anti-aircraft fire from the bay, the unknown fighters took higher into the skies to avoid coming into range of the ships, forcing them to contend with the Emmerian forces now. Despite that, they were still holding their own against the Emmerians, enough that it warranted the introduction of bombers into the mix to cause further damage to the city.

"Bombers approaching the city, take them out!" announced Ghost Eye when he picked them up on radar, Talisman checking his and seeing their positions appear.

"On it, AWACS! Need some assistance!"

"We're on your six, Talisman." said Windhover as he and his squadron formed up behind him and Shamrock.

"All ships in King's Bay, this is AWACS Ghost Eye. Focus all anti-aircraft fire on those bombers once they're within range. Assist our air forces in preventing any further damage to Gracemeria."

"Roger that, Ghost Eye. We're locked and loaded!"

Talisman and those with him met the enemy bombers just outside the outskirts of the city and engaged them and their escort fighters, more Su-27s, the bombers themselves Tu-160s, and by then already there were suspicions within the Emmerian ranks of the identity of their attackers.

It took Ghost Eye to finally confirm them when his team aboard the E-767 got the information they needed and handed it to him on paper, Ghost Eye's stern expression turning into a deeper frown.

"Ghost Eye to all forces. We've got an ID on the invaders. We're currently engaged with the Estovakian military."

"The Estovakians?!" exclaimed Windhover.

"Something seemed off about all of these Yuke-designed aircraft...now that just confirms it…" uttered Talisman. "It's definitely the Stovies we're dealing with here."

"Their economy's been in shambles for years...looks like they finally snapped. No wonder they were so batty around our borders. If only we had been more prepared…"  
"No use thinking about it now, boys." said Talisman reassuringly. "We're here now, and we're gonna make them think twice about doing this. Come on!"

After the last bomber was shot down, his rallying cry spread throughout the ranks of the Emmerians in the air and on the ground, the defenders doubling down on their efforts to push back the now identified Estovakians from their capital city. Talisman scored another couple of kills before Windhover's squadron was pulled away by Ghost Eye informing them they were the closest to a sector where transport planes had dropped airborne tanks into the city.

Thankfully Emmerian tanks and soldiers had been hard at work since mobilizing within the city to set up roadblocks and defensive positions along with helping to evacuate the people to safe zones. When the airborne tanks that made the drop safely began their advance, they were met with heavy resistance from both the air and the ground.

The element of surprise was totally gone, and the Emmerians were slowly but surely beginning to take the initiative from the Estovakians and use it against them.

"Shamrock, come with me, there's a flight of Stovies harassing our guys trying to protect the castle." said Talisman after hearing the cry for assistance over the radio.

"Roger that Talisman, on your wing."

The two pilots flew across the bay to the castle and caught the Estovakian pilots there by surprise with how quickly they arrived, scoring two quick kills right off the bat. Talisman heard the missile alerts go off and he skillfully avoided the threat, turning his jet around to chase after the source of it.

Shamrock was holding his own too, and as he did Talisman was glancing out of the corner of his eyes always at his new wingman. Seeing him in battle for the first time, he was honestly impressed with how skilled Shamrock was.

" _Looks like a fine pilot to me, good thing we had him here with us just in time for this shitstorm._ " he thought with a grin.

Once the threat around the castle was removed, the Estovakians started losing more ground to the Emmerians and their vibrant enthusiasm that they could win the battle.

"The Estovakian threat level is down. We should be able to take them now." reported Ghost Eye to his pilots, Avalanche snickering to himself after shooting down another Estovakian pilot.

"Looks like the Stovies are runnin' out of steam. Had enough boys?" he taunted.

"Don't start yet Avalanche, we've got more of them inbound. More fighters and airborne tank carrying transport planes." said Talisman once Ghost Eye added them to their radars.

Forming up behind their two lead pilots, the Emmerians met the second wave of enemies head on and immediately turned the tide back in their favor despite the Estovakian reinforcements.

"So these bastards think they can just barge into someone's house without even calling first? Rude." joked Windhover, getting a laugh out of Talisman and some of the other pilots.

"I say we teach 'em a few manners before we kick 'em out." Shamrock replied. "That'll show them not to mess with us."

As the airborne tanks were dropped out over part of Novusmeria, those lucky enough to make it out of the plane before it was shot down by one of the Emmerians, almost instantly had their parachutes shot out of the sky the next moment afterwards.

They'd smash to the ground harmlessly, and even if they did make it to the ground, they had to deal with Emmerian ground forces and try to survive and airstrike from above. The chance to score a victory was growing slimmer and slimmer by the second, and it got to the point that if something wasn't done to flip the cards back in favor of Estovakia, they would soon be run right out of Gracemeria with their tails tucked between their legs.

"The Estovakian threat level is even lower now. Drive them out of Emmeria." announced Ghost Eye, a small grin forming on his face as success was within their grasp.

"You heard the man. Let's wrap this up!"

 **\- Fuscum Sea, Fifteen Miles out from Gracemeria -**

Dense clouds had rolled in over the Fuscum Sea, providing the perfect cover for the Estovakian trump card that was just given the order from the operation leaders to be activated. Emerging from the clouds was the giant manta-ray like flying craft that Estovakians had launched from earlier to commence the attack, its hull glistening in the sunlight. Four more smaller craft emerged from the clouds with it, two on each of its wings.

While the existence of this air fleet of sorts was not known by Emmeria, and it was presumed there would be little threat to the mothership, the inclusion of the four escorts with the larger one was still made as a precaution for the unexpected.

"Aigaion to Strigon Team. We are prepared to launch."

Approaching low to the water a few miles ahead of the large craft was a ten man flight of black and red Su-33 Flanker-D, the symbol of a grim reaper standing with his scythe in a shield emblem with a red background shown proudly on their vertical stabilizers. The pilot leading the flight looked at their radar as preliminary information about their forces and Emmerian forces in the city was given to them.

"Strigon Leader to Aigaion. We will commence mission operations once your delivery is complete." he replied before looking up above, seeing the large aircraft flying above them.

Their AWACS was a foreigner, just like those two pilots who were still back with the Aigaion, but he couldn't dispute the fact that this man was highly skilled at his job, just like those two. It was no wonder they operated as a team, and their actions in the civil war proved it.

"Continue your approach along the water, Strigon Team. All forces will be notified of Nimbus Launch shortly. Once the primary strike has been made, move in to assist Estovakian forces in establishing air superiority."

"Roger, AWACS."

Back with the giant aircraft, it's speed slowed down somewhat, its escorts doing the same to remain in formation with their command ship. A pair of fighters flying close by started to circle closely as well, their eyes on the hexagonal pattern of hatches on top of the craft's head.

"Those missiles are doing to do a lot of damage, just like during the civil war, aren't they?" asked the pilot of the F-22A Raptor look-alike.

"Yeah...some of the Emmerian pilots might get killed too. Although, hearing the chatter from the Estovakians...seems like there was a couple stars of the show there."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

Since their status as mercenaries made it easier for them to do their own thing rather then stick to the regulations of the Estovakians, they left the air fleet to themselves and started making their way towards Gracemeria at top speed as well, hoping to get there before the battle had ended.

"Attention all aircraft. Targeting drones are in position, we are ready for Nimbus launch." announced the giant craft's captain from the bridge to all Estovakian forces before he switched to the PA system on board. "Open the silos!"

The hexagonal silos on top of the beast began to open up into three triangular doors that folded back and in on themselves, revealing six individual missiles contained inside each silo as warning lights started flashing inside of them.

"Begin the countdown."

"Booster ignition complete. Launch in five, four, three, two, one...fire!"

With a loud hiss seven of the large missiles were fired out of a couple of the silos, their smoke trails zooming away from the ship before braked slightly in the air and straightened out their path to begin soaring straight for Gracemeria.

Eventually the giant missiles caught up with the black and red fighters, who had risen up from the water and stuck together in close formation for their entrance into the city from the bay. As the missiles flew by overhead, their AWACS spoke, "Engage the enemy at will following Nimbus impact."

"Finish them off"

 **\- Gracemeria -**

Talisman had just shot down another Estovakian when those that remained started to group up together and seemed to be rereading from the Emmerians. Seeing that, the Emmerians started to celebrate among themselves at the successful defense of their capital city.

"The Stovies are running scared!"

"We did it!"

Even Ghost Eye was about to say a job well done before an alert started to go off inside his 767 and whirled around to go to the station where it was coming from.

"What's going on here?"

He leaned over the shoulder of the operator there and his eyes widened"

"Missiles incoming!"

"What, missiles? Where?"

Talisman, after hearing Ghost Eye's exclamation, looked around frantically, trying to find the missiles that they had spotted, before suddenly several large chains of explosions came to life around them. In the blink of an eye, several Emmerian jets vanished from the sky. Either consumed by the fireballs or knocked out of the sky by the shockwave, it didn't matter, the attack alone reduced their airpower by around half and left them in a frantic and chaotic state.

"multiple cruise missiles just detonated midair!" exclaimed Avalanche. "Half our planes have been wiped off the radar!"

"What the hell was that? Where are they coming from?"

"Can't worry about that now Shamrock! Look, the Stovies are coming back!"

The enemy had fainted a retreat to make room for the unknown cruise missiles and were coming back again with more reinforcements to attack the bewildered Emmerians, and Talisman was the first to meet them mostly prepared for their reinvigorated fighting spirit.

"Evade like hell if you want to make it through this alive!" shouted Windhover as he snapped back to reality when several enemy fighters started attacking him and his squadron.

"Second wave of cruise missiles inbound, brace for impact!"

Talisman dodged gunfire from a Flanker tailing him and grit his teeth when a cluster of explosions went off nearby his aircraft, the shockwave rattling his entire jet and body to their cores and nearly blinding him.

Chatter from the Emmerian pilots turned more frantic as a handful of more pilots were brought down by the devastating cruise missile barrage, and it only got worse when Ghost Eye brought them more bad news with the addition of more enemy planes approaching from the sea.

The flight of Flanker-Ds arrived in the airspace of Gracemeria, the AWACS they brought along immediately identifying Ghost Eye's presence with the advanced equipment onboard his own EW aircraft.

"Enemy AWACS detected on radar. Activating Electronic Counter Measures. Go to work, Strigon."

With the flip of a switch, the Emmerians were rendered blind almost instantly. Talisman barked out a little in pain when his helmet was filled with loud static and his radar started going on the fritz like mad, making it impossible to tell who was friend, who was foe, and just how many planes were even up in the air.

"ECCM!" yelled Ghost Eye to his men, who were trying every trick in the book to restore the electronic eyes of the Emmerians, but to no avail.

"ECCM, get it all back up! Dammit!" he cursed, holding up the headphones in his hand to his mouth. "Whatever ECM the enemy has, it's knocked out our radar and left us completely blind! All forces, be wary of who you're firing at! Use visual sight to differ between friend and foe!"

"Shit! Not good, not good!" Windhover said with a grunt. "Fuck, my left wing got grazed!"

"Hold on, we're coming Windhover!"

"Talisman, what do we do? Everything's going south!" asked Shamrock after he downed an Estovakian fighter.

"Just keep surviving Shamrock, we'll make it through this! Stick with me!" Talisman replied.

He turned his head, remembering Ghost Eye's earlier warning, and he finally saw them. A ten man flight of black and red jet fighters soaring in from the sea to assist their Estovakian comrades and taking down he and the other Emmerians.

"Alpha Flight, secure air superiority. Beta Flight, incapacitate all naval vessels currently in King's Bay. Rock and roll."

"Calling all Strigon planes. Gracemeria shall be ours for the taking."

They then split up into their respective flights, the beta team diving back down towards the water and started attacking the Emmerian naval ships in the bay, avoiding their AA fire and anti-air missiles to lay down heavy damage with their own weaponry.

Talisman and Shamrock had just broken away from an engagement they were in to meet the new enemy before Ghost Eye interrupted them again with an important announcement that even he sounded disgruntled to say.

"This Ghost Eye to all surviving aircraft. Air Defense Command has ordered an evacuation."

"What?!" blurted out Talisman. "That's bullshit!"

Ghost Eye, not having any of it, despite his own feelings, reiterated the order. "You've been ordered to give up Gracemeria."

Windhover grunted when one of the new enemy fighters started chasing him, forcing Lanner and Saker to try and get him off their flight leader's tail. Despite that, he still made his disagreement with the retreat order known.

"Are you out of your mind? We can't comply with that order!"

"We are militarily at a huge disadvantage." retorted Ghost Eye. "Comply with the order and head west."

"This is Avalanche. We're not going anywhere." said Avalanche, Blizzard and Serac agreeing with their flight lead as they continued to defend against the Estovakian forces.

Ghost Eye was starting to get frustrated with the pilots' inability to obey his orders, and he had to put aside his own feelings towards the retreat to get them to see the reasoning behind the abandoning of Gracemeria.

"Listen! It's only temporary. The plan is to withdraw, meet up with all remaining forces from each area, then regroup for a counter attack. We can't afford to lose any of you. Follow the order."

Talisman grit his teeth and cursed to himself under his breath as he and Shamrock were neck deep in an engagement with two of the black and red fighters, the pilots controlling them incredibly skilled by their own right and giving them a fair fight. They and the other Emmerians were silent for a moment, a chance for the immediate repulsion to the retreat to wear off so they can realize the facts laid before them.

Fighting a losing battle to protect their capital city could mean the deaths of even more men up in the air, and if they were to fall there, who would be the spearhead for the future battles they all knew were coming?

It was a hard pill to swallow, especially so for Talisman. He'd lived in Gracemeria his entire life, he didn't want to leave it just as much as everyone else. But if it allowed for them to fight another day, to give them a chance to take it back in the future once they had recovered, then it was worth it. For the men that had already died up till then, it was the least they could do.

"This is Garuda 2 to Garuda 1." Shamrock said, pulling Talisman from his thoughts. "We really should get out of here."

Talisman growled in response to the truth, and in his rage he tailed the enemy fighter nearest to him, one of the black and red fighters, and shot him clear out of the sky.

"Strigon 4 is down!"

"I hate to admit it but you're right Shamrock. Fuck, the truth hurts…"

He quickly retreated with Shamrock away from the enemy in order to prevent a quick retaliation for the downing of one of their fighter jets.

"Listen to Ghost Eye, everyone. We need to retreat."

"But this is our city! We're just gonna leave it to the Stovies?!" Windhover asked angrily.

"Windhover, I hate it too, but this is the only thing we can do!" Talisman yelled back. "I want to live to fight another day and get back at them instead of dying here fighting a losing battle!"

"Dammit…" cursed Avalanche to himself.

After another few moments of silent thinking the Emmerian reluctantly began to escape from the area either one by one or by squadron, Windhover firing one last missile at the enemy he was pursuing before turning away to leave with his squadron. Unknowingly that missile he fired managed to strike the jet he was aiming for, one of the black and red ones, causing the pilot inside to get jostled around heavily.

He had lost control of part of his aircraft and smoke was billowing out of one of the engines. The jet was toast, and he needed to get out of it fast before it got any worse.

"Lieutenant Colonel Voychek, you've been hit. Are you alright?" asked their AWACS when he observed the damage from above.

"I'm fine. I'm going to take my fighter down outside the city. Mission accomplished, Strigon. Gracemeria is ours."

As he took his jet towards the outskirts of the cities, the AWACS operator leaned back into his chair and pressed a button to switch radio frequencies to the two separated observers nearby.

"See everything that you needed to see, you two?"

"We have. That one in the Strike Eagle, the one in the lead. Compared to the other pilots...he seemed to 'have it' more then them."

"You think he's our man?"

"We'll have to see."

On the ground, in the neighborhoods, if they hadn't run or tried to escape already, the citizens of Gracemeria had been rooted to wherever they were, frozen in terrified awe of the air battle that had just taken place above their peaceful capital.

Fire and smoke rose from the city before them. The King's Bridge is gone. Several buildings had collapsed in fire and smoke. From her front lawn Matilda collapsed to her knees, a silent utter escaping from her lips. Somewhere nearby, a scream of terror just like the one she let out soon after was heard. She was heartbroken, scared, and horrified. How could this have happened?

Meanwhile, the Emmerians had managed to fully retreat from the city through Chester City on both air and land,Talisman and Shamrock at the front of their remaining air forces. Everyone had the same, sick to their stomach feeling at what they were forced to do, it was going to be a silent flight.

One voice did break the silence however.

"I promise we'll be back for you...just a little longer, I promise."

It was Shamrock, a single voice among a sea of silence. Despite what had just happened, his voice still had some hope in it.

Hope. They're going to need a lot of it to recover from this.

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

Our military has escaped destruction because of your valiant efforts on the battlefield. But our capital Gracemeria has been temporarily occupied by Estovakian forces, and our central government has been usurped by them as well. The nation of Estovakia had declared war with our country as it simultaneously launched a surprise attack on Gracemeria. In response, the Republic of Emmeria's political council unanimously adopted a resolution of open war against the Federal Republic of Estovakia. Our forces remaining on the Emmerian mainland are still fighting in desperation to protect our country. Once our intelligence has been sorted and confirmed, the Republic of Emmeria's armed forces must immediately regroup and counter attack against the Federal Republic of Estovakia. The beautiful country of Emmeria belongs to us, and only us — the Emmerian people.


	39. Vitoze Aerial Defense

A/N Hello again everyone! Hope you all enjoyed the previous chapter and the opening to the AC6 section of Wings of Freedom! I basically doubled my word count from the original chapter after rewriting it, so that was a blast! This story is already getting close to 200k words, which puts it at almost the halfway point to my biggest story ever, the 70+ chapter Akame ga Kill story "A Different Path" that, if you know the series or like it, I highly recommend reading because I think it's pretty good! #ShamelessSelfAdvertisement

With the time that I have I'm going to try and hammer out as many chapters as I can before I go back to school, which by then I hope that the schoolwork won't be as aggressive (don't have to take German anymore since I finished that, thank god!) and so that I could still work on this for you all! :)

Anyways, that's it for right now, the ideas I have for WoF are still plenty, so I won't leave you hanging! Please, leave a favorite and review, and if you know anyone else who loves Ace Combat and likes reading AC fanfics, please do not hesitate to contact them and send them over! I'd love to have their thoughts and opinions on this, and maybe they'll like it too!

See you in the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 37 - Vitoze Aerial Defense**

 _On the Brink_

* * *

" _Every now and then, I'd tell my daughter the story of the night some years ago. A night when the sky was radiant with shooting stars. That night, your father and I made countless wishes together..._ "

Melissa thought to herself as she walked along a muddy dirt road, rolling some luggage behind her alongside dozens of other refugees fleeing from Estovakian control. After taking a bus all the way from Gracemeria with these people she knew not by name or by face, they were being escorted by a column of Emmerian tanks and soldiers towards a bridge.

Her body was moving solely on auto-pilot, because her mind was millions of miles away. She couldn't stop herself from thinking about what happened to have caused such a travesty from occurring.

An asteroid called Ulysses came into Earth's orbit and disintegrated into millions of pieces, which poured down onto the land below across both Usea and Anea. As the people of Gracemeria watched the shooting stars that night, fragments from the asteroid rained down on their eastern neighbor, Estovakia, damaging a great deal of their infrastructure and devastating their economy. Soon after, the news reported that their nation had fallen into a civil war—one that would last for years.

Eventually, the internal strife was brought to an end when "The Generals" came into power. In the midst of hardship, the citizens of Estovakia were convinced that the only way they could recover as a nation was to rely on a military government led by these "Generals".

But now...they had invaded Emmeria, their peaceful neighbor who only wanted to help, and had driven back their military all the way to Khesed, an island far to the west.

" _I wish...we could go back to then...before all of this...before…_ "

Melissa stopped herself from thinking any longer, and just continued to walk forward with the other refugees for fear of breaking down into tears yet again. Ever since that they had come across the twisted remains of her daughter's school bus in their flight from Gracemeria, she felt soulless and empty.

For a brief moment her eyes lifted up from the road and her feet to see the tanks parked close by to a bridge that crossed a river they were approaching. A tank operator was standing atop the turret of one of the tanks, megaphone in hand, barking orders at them.

She didn't blame him for doing so. They had to keep moving, or the Estovakians would catch up to them. All they could do was keep moving forward, no matter how tired or weary they got.

"Move! Move! Let's pick up the pace people!" ordered the soldier, pointing towards the bridge. "There's a train still runnin'' on the other side of the river! She goes all the way out to the edge of the border! We've gotta blow this bridge before the enemy gets a hold of it, so move it or lose it, people!"

There was a black column of thick smoke rising from something off the road, something Melissa could not yet see as she shuffled past the tank with another refugee next to her. Once she got past, her head mindlessly glanced over out of sheer curiosity to see what the source of the smoke was. It was the twisted wreckage of a fighter jet that had been shot down, most likely as it was trying to retreat with their air forces, or attack them, she could not tell.

She stopped for a moment to look further at the jet, and her eyes noticed a hint of color that was present on what was left of the nose. Some writing, it seemed like, something written in bright yellow.

Melissa.

It was her name.

Fate had not yet decided it was done with Melissa, giving her the broken image of the jet that her husband had flown since the beginning of his career in the Emmerian air force. Her husband had left for work that day with the same loving smile he always gave her. His angel had been blessed with her name, but even that did not stop the hand of death.

Melissa's knees gave out on her and she slowly collapsed to her knees, unable to keep herself standing upright. Then came her hands, sitting there on the cold hard concrete road on all fours, her eyes frozen on the jet. What remained of her heart was now completely shattered. Her whole world was shattered.

"Hey, Miss, what's wrong?" asked the tank operator, setting his megaphone down. "You need to keep moving."

His words fell on deaf ears, so he frowned and got down off the tank, going up next to her to see if he could get her to move with his words again.  
"You need to get up Miss. We can't stick around for any longer."

Again, Melissa refused to move. Her body had completely shut down on her.

The man frowned again before he noticed where her gaze was and followed it, all the way to the jet that he and his crew had seen on their approach to the bridge. He squinted to see what she could possibly be focusing on and saw the name painted onto the nose, along with the image of an angel right beside it.

He felt his throat tighten up and he realized what the problem was. He got down onto a knee next to Melissa and put an arm on her back, sitting there next to her for a minute or so in silence before he rubbed her back.

"We have to get you going Miss...you can't stay here. Come on, I'll help you up."

Even though she didn't want to, Melissa allowed herself to be helped to her feet by the tank operator and finally, after what seemed like an eternity, her eyes were taken away from her husband's jet and handed back the handle for her luggage. She took one glance at the tank operator, who with a tiny smile managed to speak volumes to her and sympathize with her loss, before she rejoined the refugees on their march towards salvation.

Once she and the refugees got on the train, they were on the road or the rails for a whole two weeks, before finally arriving at a refugee camp at the border, far away from Gracemeria. The people she saw posted on the lists posted on the cork boards were completely unknown to her. The other refugees kept themselves relatively sane by gathering around a single handheld radio at the same time, every day, to listen to the broadcast.

Even though the station is broadcasting out of Gracemeria, occupying forces have taken complete control of the airwaves.

Melissa happened to be walking by the table where the radio was located, a handful of people standing around it listening to what the broadcaster had to say. She paid no attention to it, turning towards the stairs to start climbing them one by one until she reached the midpoint in the flight of the stairs and sat down, holding her face in her hands.

" _...And although newer parts of the city have suffered considerable damage, the castle and significant section of the old quarter have escaped relatively unscathed…_ "  
The announcer went on to speak about how the castle had been robbed of all the priceless antiquities and objects, much to the displeasure of the people listening.

" _As the Estovakian military, it is our sworn duty to govern this crumbling nation, and get it back on its feet, starting right here in Gracemeria. I've found a group of street children in front of the Central Station here, where the area has literally been reduced to a slum. Step on up here little girl. What do you have to say about all this?_ "

" _Go dance with the angels, mister!_ "

The announcer gave out a sharp cry after the little girl spoke, mostly from a fierce kick in the shin, but that didn't matter as much as the voice itself. Melissa's head slowly raised up when she heard the voice through the radio. Her ears were not deceiving her.

" _That voice...that was my daughter...Matilda! My daughter is alive!_ "

 **\- Gracemeria Grand Central Station, Gracemeria -**

 **\- November 22nd, 2015 1050 hrs -**

In the days since the Emmerian retreat from their capital city, Gracemeria had changed from a bright, joy-filled place to live, to a dreary, practically lifeless husk. The weather of the day didn't make the sorry state of Gracemeria any better. Hardly anyone walked the streets any more, even if it was to just go grab a coffee with a friend, or to see the city and enjoy the atmosphere. The only reason why anyone would go out was to shop for the basic essentials.

Other then that, the streets were mostly empty, save for the Estovakian soldier or two that were on patrol in accordance with their occupation.

Gracemeria Grand Central Station, the hub of all railway traffic to and from the capital city to the rest of the continent, was no exception. Usually bustling with people walking to and fro across the platforms from the trains into the station or vice versa, it was now empty and desolate, save for the handful of Estovakian soldiers inside. Not even the trains were running, because of the lock-down the city had been forced into.

The silence was disturbed when a single train pulled into the station, the soldier standing on the island platform closest to it walking to the door as it came to a halt. With a hiss the doors were opened, and the single lone occupant of the front-most car slowly stepped out with the assistance of a cane.

The man was somewhat past his prime, dressed in a military uniform with a Lieutenant Colonel's markings on it. Along with his cane, he had a silver metal briefcase handcuffed to his wrist resting upon a rolling luggage case.

This man was Lieutenant Colonel Voychek of the Estovakian Air Force. He had been the leader of the elite squadron who joined the invasion of Gracemeria days prior after the missile attack had devastated the city's defenders.

" _To think that at such a pivotal moment...I'd receive a leg injury from that crash…_ " he thought, glancing down at the leg he favored less. " _And now...I've been relegated to ground duty as an intelligence officer for the Air Force._ "

He glanced up when sunlight struck his face directly despite there being a roof over the tracks, only to find a giant gaping hole was the culprit. It was from a bomb or missile, he didn't know which.

" _It would seem the city's resigned to it's fate beneath the Estovakian flag…what a pitiful sight._ "

Voychek noticed the flags of his country hanging from the building he could see through the hole in the ceiling, and after a few moments he lowered his gaze and continued walking forward. He was thankful deep down that the city itself, for the most part, was relatively left unscathed from what he heard after the invasion had finished.

He eventually walked out of the station, leaving it entirely for the street outside, and was met by only a few people who were out doing things he did not know what they were doing. Their expressions held no happiness or joy, and they looked like empty shells that were merely operating with enough sense to be able to walk without running into things. Their eyes were blank, and their expressions blank.

Once outside, Voychek went and found a little cafe that seemed to be open and sat down at one of the vacant outside tables, resting his briefcase on top and resting his cane against his luggage next to the chair.

As he sat there with his hands resting on the briefcase, unbeknownst to him, something slowly crept up from out of his view towards his luggage. Once it was close enough, small hands wrapped around the side carrying handle and tugged on it slightly, pulling it ever so slowly away from the side of the chair, as if testing its weight. When it determined it was light enough, with a yank the luggage was pulled away quickly, Voychek's cane falling to the ground with a loud clank, alerting him.

Voychek whirled his head around, prepared for the worse, but he only saw a small boy running away from him with his luggage hoisted over his shoulder.

"Go dance with the angels!"

A nearby Estovakian soldier saw the theft and he immediately blew his whistle while giving chase after the young boy, his rifle jostling from the shoulder strap as he threw it over his back. Considering he couldn't chase himself because of his injury, he sighed and resigned himself to hoping that he would get his clothes back at some point. As he was leaning down to pick up his cane, another boy had snuck up from his left and attempted to steal the briefcase handcuffed to his wrist, something the boy hadn't seen.

Once he felt the tug on his arm, Voychek turned back and grabbed the handle with both hands, not intended to give the boy any chance, and tugged harshly back. The suitcase was ripped from the boy's hands and he fell on his rear, the lieutenant colonel giving him a harsh scowl that was enough to make him run away.

" _You will not be so lucky with these documents…_ " he thought as he rested the case back on the table, rubbing his wrist slightly. " _What a miserable city this must be with their children in such a state._ "

He slowly shook his head out of pity for the Gracemerians for a second before he leaned back down to pick up his cane and rested it this time on the table as well, wanting to ensure no more of his belongings were taken from him.

After resting for a little while after the long train ride to the city, he decided to find a ride that would take him to a landmark he expressed interest in going to once he had seen it briefly from the sky.

Gracemeria Castle, the oldest structure in the city, a landmark he remembered was the seat of power for one of Emmeria's oldest kings, the one who united the lands and established what the country was today during medieval times. Once he was dropped off by the main entrance, he thanked the taxi driver, but got no response whatsoever as he drove away.

Voychek, not really offended by the Emmerian's lack of manners towards him, turned and walked towards the castle's front entrance, briefcase in hand. The castle was deserted, and for a reason that actually hurt Voychek's heart. He had always appreciated history, and was rather fond of it. But upon entering the castle, he found the interior utterly looted beyond recognition. Dozens of pieces from Emmeria's ancient times had been removed, with very little left behind in their original spots. Countless years of history, gone.

Broken glass from display cases that protected more valuable or ancient items littered the ground, and he could only imagine what kind of things were there. Perhaps this was done in order to protect them from the Estovakians, from Voychek and the foreign invaders coming into their lands. Regardless of the reason, he hoped that the items taken were at least safe, and hopefully one day returned to the castle.

He found his way to the throne room and like the rest of the castle, it too had been practically emptied out of everything that laid within the chamber. His cane strikes echoed off the empty walls as he walked up to the throne, which now stood empty, without its king to watch Gracemeria upon it.

" _Even the ancient armor of their king is gone, without a trace…_ "

He stopped before the steps leading up to the throne and bent down, picking up one of the large Dobicas resting on the lowest steps to look at it. Offerings to the king, he assumed.

" _I'm going to have to relay this unfortunate news back to my superiors...they were rather fond of these antiques._ "

Voychek ran his thumb across the face of the coin for a few moments before he looked back up at the throne and flicked the coin out and onto the top level of the elevated platform, the coin bouncing once and rolling towards the right front leg of the throne, bumping into the golden lion and spinning till coming to a rest.

He then turned around to leave the castle, reminding himself that he had a duty to his country to perform as an intelligence officer. It was time to go to work.

 **\- Campagna Airport, Vitoze, southwestern Khesed Island -**

 **\- 36°13'27"N, 26°30'35"E -**

 **\- November 24th, 2015 0911 hrs -**

The mood in the room was tense. After fleeing all the way from their capital city, with Estovakia hot on their heels, the Emmerians had taken up refuge in the city of Vitoze on Khesed Island, easily the farthest piece of land away from their capital as you can get. Their whole country had been overrun by the Estovakians, more or less, with only pockets of resistance left to fend for themselves because the main force had been pushed back so far.

Talisman was sitting next to Shamrock in their impromptu briefing room, a boardroom in the airport main terminal that was converted into a makeshift military command post from which they'd launch their counterattack.

" _More like a defense then a counterattack…_ " Talisman thought as the holographic B.C.S loaded up, their Base Commander from Gracemeria who had come with them all this way their briefer.

The Estovakians had pursued them all the way to the city, and they were eager to stamp out the resistance once and for all by eliminating them here. If they couldn't beat back the attackers, then any hopes of liberating their home and Gracemeria were lost.

"Shit, this has got me ancy…" murmured Windhover close by, Talisman chuckling a little.

"That's why you've gotta stay cool, man. We can do this, I know we can."

Before they could say anything else the room's lights were darkened by Ghost Eye, who stood by the door, and he crossed his arms, the universal sign for anyone that knew him to quiet down and listen.

"A large scale formation of Estovakian bombers is heading towards Vitoze, the city here in the Brilliante Heights that we're taking refuge in on the Island of Khesed. The enemy is plotting to storm Campagna Airport, where our military is stationed, to stamp us out and put an end to this thing." started their Base Commander, his tone laid-back sounding, but utterly serious. "Enemy bombers are approaching Vitoze from the north. Our advance team estimates they'll be above the city in about fifteen minutes. Air units are to cooperate with our radar facilities and resume operations. An enemy takeover of Vitoze would mean the ultimate destruction of our country Emmeria, and of our Emmerian people."

Avalanche raised a hand once he had ended, expecting questions to be asked, and he nod his head to allow him to speak.

"Do we have an idea of what kind of forces they have with the bombers? Fighter numbers, anything?"

"Currently, no. Expect the standard issue Estovakian fighters that we encountered over Gracemeria, and enough of them to protect the bombers and attack independently as well."

Talisman rocked back and forth in his chair again before he raised a hand as well. "What about those black fighters? And do we know if we're going to get hit by those missiles again?"

Their Base Commander shook his head again, obviously a little frustrated with the lack of important information they needed and his inability to give them proper answers.

"That we do not know either, unfortunately."

"Damn…" said Shamrock. "We're just going to have to adapt then."

Their commander turned off the B.C.S and clapped his hands together, Ghost Eye turning the lights on.

"We have no time to lose. Pilots, get to your planes, and intercept the enemy at once!"

The pilots swiftly left the room and jogged through the airport terminal to the stairways that led outside to the tarmac, their jets already ready and waiting for them outside thanks to the grounds crew staffed with both military and civilian officials.

Talisman reminded himself to thank everyone who had helped their military after they returned from the mission, giving a wave to some of them as he and Shamrock went to their planes.

"Talisman, I almost forgot!"

"Huh?" Talisman stopped next to his jet and turned around, Shamrock running up behind him.

"After all of this, I never really had a chance to introduce myself."

Shamrock raised a hand up with a smile, Talisman grinning and doing the same in order to shake hands with his wingman.

"Marcus Lampert, but you can call me Marcus, Talisman." he said. "And you like to be called Talisman?"

"Yeah, just easier for everyone." Talisman replied with a laugh. "Come on Marcus, let's head up. We've got a job to do."

Marcus nod his head and he ran around Talisman to go to his F-16C, Talisman watching him for a moment before grinning to himself as he climbed up into his jet.

" _I should try to see if he can get an F-15E like me, that way we'd match._ "

Once he was settled into his jet he went through the usual checks before he and Marcus started up their jets and were the first to taxi out onto the runway, Windhover, Avalanche, and the rest of the Emmerians not far behind.

"Garuda 1, you are cleared for takeoff."

Talisman started to fly down the runway, gaining speed quickly, with Marcus hot on his tail. As they were taking off Ghost Eye, who had took off from another airport runway, connected to them and the rest of the pilots to inform them of the situation.

"Those bombers have passed through the mountains and are still on course for Vitoze."

"Let's try to meet them before they get within range of Vitoze everyone. Once you're in the air, form up around myself and Shamrock." ordered Talisman once he and Marcus were up and away from Campagna.

"Roger that."

"Wilco."

The rest of the Emmerian pilots were soon airborne and with Marcus and Talisman at the tip of the spear that left the airport behind, Ghost Eye flying high above them, to meet the approaching enemy in the rolling green hills of the Brilliante Heights the city of Vitoze was nestled in.

"If during the battle you need to resupply, you can return to base at any time to rearm your aircraft." informed Ghost Eye.

He was silent for a few more moments before the first wave of enemy bombers and their fighter escorts appeared on his long range radar, his team doing their job to update the radars of their pilots so they knew what was coming ahead of time. Ghost Eye was sure the same was being done by the Estovakians, and deep down he hoped that the enemy AWACS they encountered over Gracemeria wouldn't be there to hamper their forces with that crippling ECM attack.

"There they are boys, the first enemies are on radar." said Talisman with a grin. "Let's get this thing done, alright? All together now!"

"Ghost Eye to all squadrons. Garuda Team, you and Windhover Squadron will attack enemy bombers before they reach the city. Avalanche, your squadron and the other pilots will provide them with cover by attacking the bombers' escort squadrons."

"Wilco, Ghost Eye. Look;s like you're with us, Windhover. Hope you can keep up!" challenged Talisman, Windhover laughing.

"I'm confident we can do that and more, Talisman!"

"Yeah!" added on Lanner, with Saker cheering in the background.

"We'll do it together, Windhover, Lanner, Saker." said Marcus while smiling. "May the Golden King smile on all of us!"

Marcus' words sparked a cheer among the Emmerian forces around Vitoze in the hills, both air and ground, Talisman grinning ear to ear before he snapped on his oxygen mask cover and got himself ready for the coming engagement.

"This territory is all we've got left. Garuda Team, everyone, it's in your hands."

With that, Talisman, Marcus, and the Emmerians encountered the enemy bomber force and their escort fighters, the Estovakians ready for them as the Su-27s flying with their bombers were already in a defensive formation.

"Enemy aircraft spotted. Escort fighters, do your duty." ordered an Estovakian officer from a Beriev A-50 AWACS flying out of the combat zone. "This is our chance to wipe out the Emmerian military once and for all."

With the two opponents poised to fight with their forces, they met all at once and entered a grueling dogfight over the Brilliante Heights, where everything was to be left out onto the table. The Estovakians were ready and willing to end Emmeria's military, and Emmeria was throwing everything that it could muster to prevent that. The future of the conflict hung in the balance.

 **\- Anfang, Northeastern Belka -**

 **\- 34°38'06"N, 236°52'24"E -**

 **\- November 24th, 2015 2325 hrs -**

It was late at night in Belka, and the coastal vacation town of Anfang was silent and peaceful. Businesses were mostly closed, save for some of the bars that were open for the night owls that were out with their friends. Other then that, the city was in a perfect state of tranquility and silence.

Since the town's involvement in the Belkan War almost twenty one years ago, the city had made quite the comeback and had returned to what it once was, and even grew as well.

Anfang was also the home of a certain ace who had revealed his identity rather recently to the world at large, in a video that was shown at the end of President Harling's speech about the publication of the documents pertaining to the Circum-Pacific War of 2010. Belka had taken quite a hit after that, because of a few officials that wanted revenge, but after a hard look at themselves, the government and the country as a whole changed itself entirely.

Belka had become a republic, the Belkan Republic, with an entirely new governing body modeled similarly to Ustio's, since the two nations were once together under one flag. Since then, Belka has regained its status among the nations of the world as a cultural and technological center, full of bright minds and talented individuals that strive to make the world a better place.

Relations had improved greatly too, between Belka and all of its neighboring countries, so much so that President Harling of Osea, who had taken office for the third time in a row since first becoming president in 2004, could see how much the country had changed since the days leading up to and during the Belkan War. As such, he sought to finally burry the hatchet between Osea and Belka, and to the satisfaction of many who felt it was the right thing to do, he formally returned the state of North Osea back to Belka, becoming once again the southern half of Belka and finally reuniting South and Nord Belka after so many years of being apart.

The Belkan Republic was whole once more, and the Osean continent was experiencing an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity.

That certain ace wasn't there at the moment, but his loyal wife was still awake, finishing up some last minute things for her work on her laptop before she closed it up and leaned back into her couch.

"How could you mess something up so easily…" sighed Elizabeth as she put her arms above her head and stretched.

The TV in the living room was set to one of those music channels, playing some soothing piano that acted as background noise while she had been working. She looked up at the ceiling for a few moments before she heard some light footsteps coming down the stairs and she looked over, seeing the face of a small child peeking between the railing at her.

"Jasper...what are you doing up?"

"I'm sorry, Mommy...I couldn't sleep.." the little girl said, a teddy bear in her arms.

Elizabeth smiled before she motioned for her to come downstairs. "Mommy's done with work now, so you can sit with her."

Jasper smiled and climbed up onto the couch, curling up next to Elizabeth and resting her head against her belly, Elizabeth smiling softly at her daughter. Her hair she had inherited from her father, dark brown, which had grown a little in length with her bangs starting to cover part of her face.

"Mommy...when will my baby sister come?"

"In a couple of months or so, Jasp." she replied with a giggle. "I'm just as excited as you are."

Elizabeth used her other hand not around her daughter to rub her pregnant belly, well along and close to starting her seventh month of pregnancy. Earlier that year in May, when her husband had been home for some quality time with her and Jasper, and after being away from one another, sex was bound to happen.

" _I think we were fucking like rabbits then…_ " she thought to herself with another giggle. " _It was only a matter of time before I got pregnant again, and the news came when he had already gone back to Estovakia. He was so upset he wasn't here to see it in person._ "

Jasper and one of her small hands started rubbing her mother's belly too, nuzzling her cheek against it. Elizabeth rubbed her shoulder and the two sat together like that for a brief moment, just enjoying one another's company.

"Mommy...when will Daddy come back home and stay?"

" _That question…_ "

Elizabeth flinched a little at the innocent question that came from her daughter, but one look down at her, her four year old daughter, she could tell immediately that she had been thinking about that question for quite some time now.

" _She has so much of her father…_ " she thought as she sat Jasper up and turned to look at her, opening her mouth, then closing it.

"Your father...he's a unique kind of person, Jasper. You see, he...he's someone who enjoys his job very much. I've known him for many years now, and I could always tell that when he was on the ground, he never really felt truly at home."

"Then...where is Daddy's home?"

Elizabeth smiled and lifted Japser up into her arms before standing up, walking to the sliding glass door past the kitchen and going out onto the back patio to look out at the coast of Anfang and the starry night sky above.

"Up there, baby. In the sky."

"In the sky?" Jasper looked up to the stars, looking at them for a few moments. "But isn't it lonely up there?"

"A little bit, but you see, for your father and so many like him, it's lonely, but in a good way. You're up there by yourself, with nothing but the world below you. You feel free...like nothing can hold you back...it's an amazing feeling."

Jasper thought about what her mother said before she turned her head back round and looked at Elizabeth with the same fairly innocent expression on her face, the one that had an inquisitive look to her eyes.

"Will Daddy ever come back down to us, though…? I miss him…"

Elizabeth's heart hurt at what her daughter said, and she hugged her there under the night sky, stroking her hair and closing her eyes as she did.

"He will, Jasper...he will. Your father is many things, but above all, he cares and loves his family with all his heart…you...me...and your baby sister..."

Jasper closed her eyes too as she hugged her mother back, her head resting atop her shoulder, nestled against her neck.

"I want to hug Daddy again…"

"Me too baby, me too…"

They stood outside in one another's arms for a few minutes in silence, before Elizabeth heard the soft snoring of her daughter and her weight get a little heavier. She opened her eyes and smiled as she carried Jasper carefully back inside and took her upstairs to her room, which was full of posters of jet fighters and little tiny plane models that they had bought for her.

She was truly her daddy's little girl, and as she laid her down in her bed and pulled up the covers, she looked at a drawing taped to the wall next to her bed. It was a crude drawing, since it came from a four year old, but it was unmistakable of what it was. It was Jasper and her father, flying together in a jet, both of them smiling with their little stick figure bodies inside of the cockpit.

Seeing that, and putting it together with what her daughter had said, planted a seed inside of Elizabeth's mind as she got up and went to the door. She flicked off the lights and slowly closed the door, making her way downstairs afterwards back to the TV.

Elizabeth sat down and relaxed on the couch once again, leaning forward to grab the TV remote and change the channel to the news.

"Wonder what's on...just a quick glance before I head to bed…"

The first thing she saw when she turned on the news was a live video stream of an aerial battle taking place in the hills next to a city she didn't recognize the name of. Vitoze it was called, and according to the broadcaster, it was where the military of Emmeria was making it's last stand against the dominant Estovakian military.

" _That's where he is, Anea…_ "

She gripped one of her sleeves as she watched the news feed, jets in the air bursting into flames as they were shot down, and that seed in the back of her mind began nagging away at her more and more.

It got to the point that Elizabeth couldn't handle it any more and she quickly turned off the TV while closing her eyes, hugging her belly with her other arm.

" _I can't sit by anymore...I want him back...for myself, and our children…_ "

Elizabeth then stood up and grabbed her cellphone off the table, went into her contacts and selected a number among them to dial up, hoping that they were still awake on the other end. She held the phone up to her ear, hearing the dial tone ringing back to her as she waited for the person to answer.

"Come on, please, please…" she whispered. "Please pick up…"

The phone rang for a few moments, and she was about to give up and end the call before the dial tone ended and the sounds of someone picking up the phone came through, followed by a male's voice.

" _Hillenberand._ "

"Erich? Erich, it's me, Elizabeth."

" _Elizabeth! How are you? It's been such a long time!_ " laughed the man on the other hand, Elizabeth smiling at his voice.

"Yeah, it has, and I'm doing fine. I'm sorry neither me or Alek haven't called you in a while. And I'm sorry that I'm calling you so late, but I just had to."

" _Hey, don't worry about it, I always enjoy talking with you guys. How's Jasp?_ "

"Fine, just fine...and I'm actually pregnant with our second child…"

Elizabeth blushed and smiled again when Erich laughed out loud and congratulated her enthusiastically from the other end of the line, wishing her good luck with her pregnancy.

" _How'd he react to it? I bet he wished he was there!_ "

"He did...but...that's exactly why I called you...it's about Alek…"

Erich was silent for a moment after she said this, and Elizabeth could practically see Erich's big, confident smile turn into a concerned look.

" _What happened? Is he okay?_ "

"Yes, I'm sure he's fine, you and I both know he can take care of himself. And Nicolai and James are there with him too. The problem is that...you've been watching the news, right? About what's happening in Anea?"

" _Yeah. I have. He's there, ain't he?_ "

"He was there before, during the civil war...and I just talked with him a few days ago...he's still there, because he and this other person named Lorenz were searching for something, and...and I don't know if this war is going to turn into something like the other's he's been in, and-"

" _Whoa, whoa, Elizabeth, slow down, breath! Take it easy, you shouldn't be getting stressed like this if you're pregnant!_ "

Elizabeth bit her lip and realized that she was on the verge of tears, a hand coming to her mouth to cover it as she bit her lip and breathed slowly to calm herself down. She couldn't prevent a single tear from rolling down her cheek, but she was able to relax somewhat, enough to be able to talk to Erich normally.

"P-Please...I'm worried for him...I want him to come home, or at least know that he's okay...we want him back, Erich…and I don't know what to do..."

" _...I'll go._ "

Elizabeth's eyes widened when she heard those words, but she wasn't able to process them at first and asked him to repeat himself. When Erich did, she was beside herself and didn't know what to say.

"But Erich, you're-"

" _You're talking to a former BAF pilot, Elizabeth. What I got taught at the academy doesn't go away that easily. I've got a buddy of mine that can help me get to Anea, without having to fly commercial, since I doubt that would be the smart idea. Don't worry Elizabeth, I'll find your husband and figure out what's wrong. What you need to do is stay positive and keep Jasp happy for me, alright?_ "

Elizabeth closed her eyes and she could imagine the grin he was giving her when he said that, confident and sure of his abilities like always. There was a reason why he and her husband were able to get along so well after meeting up again after the war.

"Please...thank you, Erich…"

" _You got it. Don't worry, Phonix is on the case._ "

 **\- Brilliante Heights, Vitoze, southwestern Khesed Island -**

Talisman and the Emmerians had shot down at least a dozen Estovakian bombers and even more escort fighters, but still they were getting hounded by the Estovakians with their seemingly endless supply of forces. The smaller Emmerian force had started out strong, but again were being progressively pushed farther and farther back, to the point Vitoze had sustained damage from the air battle and their ground forces weren't able to keep up with their AA defenses to protect the city.

The situation was growing worse by the second, and Talisman could see the endgame coming from a mile away. Something had to be done, and fast.

"The air defense network won't hold much longer!" exclaimed Marcus. "What do we do, Talisman?"

"Follow me Marcus, we're making a play."

He gunned it forward and Marcus stayed hot right on his wing, the two pilots breaking out of the encirclement that they were forced into and started going on the offensive, to help their forces regain the advantage.

"Look at Garuda Team, they've opened the path for us! We gotta follow through!"

The Windhover and Avalanche squadrons, putting all their cards on the table, followed behind their leaders and began pushing back with reinvigorated strength against the Estovakians. They downed fighter after fighter, the bombers left defenseless to attacks from their flanks by the Emmerians.

"We're starting to do it! We're pushing them back!" yelled Talisman. "Just keep pushing, don't hold back! If we stop now, Vitoze is toast!"

While the Emmerians were going all out, high above the action, a pair of fighters were watching from above, their focus solely on the Talisman as he flew and weaved through the Estovakian pilots.

"See anything worthwhile, Cipher?"

"Yeah...I think Lorenz' intel was right, Emmeria did have a hotshot up their sleeves. And look at how his allies are around him. Look familiar?"

"Like how Nagase, Grimm, and Snow were with you during the last war?"

Cipher chuckled a little and nod his head, before he looked at a picture of Elizabeth taped to the inside of his cockpit and let out a slow, steady breath. Nicolai, his trusted wingman since the start of the Estovakian Civil War, heard the breath and he couldn't help but smile to himself. He knew what that meant when he heard that breath, he had heard it so many times before during the civil war, it was the method Cipher used to calm himself down before diving into any fray occurring.

"Getting a closer look for yourself?"

"I need to confirm if he's the one up close and personal. You don't need to come down to help me, I'll be fine." replied Cipher, Nicolai chuckling.

"Alright then. Stay safe then."

Cipher grinned a little before he dropped his altitude rapidly, speeding down towards the battle below. This was going to be the first battle he had participated in since the end of the civil war, and that adrenaline rush instantly hit him in his downward descent. It was time to have some fun.

"Fox 2! Ha! Got him!"

"Nice job Lanner!"

The Emmerians, thanks to Talisman and Marcus providing the breakout from their encirclement, had once again regained the initiative and were pushing back the Estovakians farther and farther away from the city, enough to where their bombers couldn't even get close enough before they were shot down.

"It's no use! We can't get past them!"

"Dammit, we had them!"

Estovakian pilots were dropping like flies and they were getting more and more frustrated with their inability to finish off the Emmerian forces, especially when they had the numerical advantage.

"We've lost the advantage, we need to retreat from the airspace." said their AWACS. "The Emmerians have won this time…"

"This is Galm One...I'll cover your retreat."

"Yeah, we did it! They're running!"

"Hold up everyone, don't celebrate yet. New enemy on radar coming in hot from the same attack vector as the Estovakians." informed Ghost Eye.

"A single fighter?" asked Windhover, snorting. "What is one fighter going to do for them?"

"So...I hear you guys have a hotshot in your ranks."

Windhover's voice turned silent when the voice entered their radio channel, a phenomenon that's been reported to happen sometimes when there's a vast amount of jet fighters in the sky around one another. Talisman didn't know who the voice belonged to, but for some reason it seemed so familiar to him.  
What was even stranger was how indirectly the unknown pilot referred to him, since he was sure that's who he was talking about.

"Yeah, so? If you're trying to win, it's no use. We've already won."

"Not while I'm here."

The lone fighter then emerged from the haze and charged straight at Talisman from out of nowhere, launching several missiles at him and forcing him to disengage quickly off instinct.

" _Holy shit! Who is this guy?!_ " he thought as he quickly accelerated upward, the pilot sticking right behind him.

No matter what he did to shake the guy off, Marcus even trying to get him off his flight lead's tail by spamming his machine gun at him and firing missiles too, they couldn't lose him. Talisman glanced back to try and see just what kind of fighter jet he was dealing with, and saw almost a mirror reflection.

It was undoubtedly an F-15 that was chasing him, a closer look that he made within a fraction of a second telling him it was the first model, an F-15C, but something was off about it. It looked different, modified even. How or why an Estovakian would be flying an F-15C was beyond him, at least for a few short moments before he noticed the navy blue colors on its wings, vertical and horizontal stabilizers.

In an instant his whole world flipped upside down. What was _he_ doing here? What was a legend doing fighting for the Estovakians?

"Garuda One! Are you-"

"Stay back, Marcus!" shouted Talisman after pulling a harsh G-force maneuver. "Don't get close!"

"Talisman?!"

He grunted when Cipher grazed parts of his left wing with his gun as they blew by one another, the skilled mercenary performing his own sharp turn to get right back onto Talisman's tail.

"Everybody, stay back, or you'll get shot down!"

"Garuda One, what is the problem?" questioned Ghost Eye. "Who is the unknown fighter?"

Talisman grunted as he pulled a high-G turn to try and catch Cipher off guard, but he expected the maneuver and countered by rolling away, some bullets Talisman fired just barely missing his fuselage.

"It's the Demon Lord...the guy from Ustio!" he exclaimed. "It's the Demon Lord!"

The mood among the Emmerian pilots instantly shifted to terror when the identity of the new pilot was revealed. A legendary ace with no equal was fighting for their enemy, something that none of them would have ever thought possible.

"Let's see how well you fare in that jet of your's…" said Cipher as he continued to relentlessly pursue Talisman.

" _Shit, this guy's skill is insane!_ "

Talisman tried every single maneuver in the book that he knew, even some that he wasn't even sure existed in any book, but Cipher still maintained a close distance behind him. He felt as if Cipher was toying with him, like a predator would with its prey. Sizing him up, judging what it would take to bring him down.

" _Like hell I'm going to let myself get shot down here!_ "

He gripped his flight stick tightly and let his gut takeover, his maneuvers becoming far more sharp and tight, as if he had flipped a switch inside his jet to release all the limits put onto it. Cipher could immediately see the change when it happened, and he couldn't stop himself from smiling when the tables started to become far more even then before.

" _After so long...I got you._ "

To everyone's surprise, Talisman began to hold his own against the Demon Lord, matching him move for move in the sky. It was almost as if they were mirror matches—two sides of the same coin.

"I'm not gonna let you win here! It doesn't matter if you're the Demon Lord, I'm going to win for my friends, and my country!" shouted Talisman as he twirled his jet around a missile.

Talisman then pulled back hard on the flight stick and cut the engines, his plane almost freezing in the air and flipped around at a 45° angle, and fired a missile almost point blank back at Cipher.

To his displeasure, Cipher shot it clear out of the sky with a well placed burst from his machine gun, the two pilots soaring past one another in a momentary respite from the intense dogfight. Talisman was ready for Cipher, his adrenaline pumping at the maximum, but nothing came. No missile alerts, nothing.

"I've seen enough."

Talisman turned his jet around and looked just in time to see Cipher retreating from their airspace, his aircraft ascending up towards another jet fighter flying higher up then the rest. Once they linked back up, they and the rest of the Estovakian forces fled the airspace in a rapid manner, so much so that Talisman didn't even know what to think in that moment until Windhover blurted it out.

"Holy shit! You fended off the Demon Lord! Talisman, you're a god!"

"I...I did?"

Avalanche and Windhover laughed at Talisman's temporary obliviousness to what he had just managed to do, until he too finally realized it and fist pumped. "Fuck, I did!"

"There he is!" laughed Lanner. "Yeah, you did!"

"That was incredible, Talisman!" exclaimed Marcus enthusiastically. "You did it!"

He formed back up with Talisman in a sort of victory lap over the Brilliante Heights as the Emmerians cheered at their victory. They were able to hold on to the last bit of territory they had left and put a stop to Estovakia's plans to wipe them off Emmeria entirely.

"All Estovakian forces have been either shot down or have retreated. I have to say you all handled things well."

"Sheesh...heapin' all that praise on us has got me a little too red in the face to go back home." said Avalanche.

Ghost Eye grinned to himself inside of his plane and leaned against a monitor inside, making a smirk that he knew they couldn't see while shuffling some paper in his hands.

"Roger that Avalanche. I'll just report you as gunned down and missing in action."

Ghost Eye's unexpected joke got a laugh out of everybody, restoring the mood back to a more jovial one like they had before Cipher's brief appearance. Avalanche was the only one not to laugh.

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

The enemy bombers have been intercepted. Enemy aircraft around the Khesed perimeter have been significantly weakened. Our forces have taken advantage of this opportunity to arrange a swift counterattack. We will also take note of the appearance of the "Demon Lord", who appeared near the latter half of the mission. We all know who he is, what he's capable of. We will take precautions in future operations in the event that the Demon Lord makes another appearance. We'll be expecting the best of you.

 **\- Somewhere in the Emmeria Countryside -**

 **\- Several Days later -**

" _My daughter is alive somewhere in Gracemeria...I have to find her._ "

Melissa had left the refugee camp a couple of days earlier with her luggage in tow, saying goodbye to the people she had come to at least somewhat know on the train ride there before. Some thought she was crazy to go back, others admired her for her courage to do so.

What they thought of her didn't matter. The knowledge that her daughter was alive and well somewhere in Gracemeria was enough to keep her body going, even when her feet were aching and sore beyond belief. She had been walking for days, rolling her luggage behind her, sticking to the roads since it will end up at the capital later on down the line.

As she was walking, she remembered the bridge that she had to cross a few weeks earlier and at first she was worried about it. How was she going to cross the river without a boat? It was too deep for her to swim across either, she would be swept away.

Those thoughts however were pushed aside when to her surprise, she came across the very bridge she herself crossed with all those refugees, completely untouched.

" _Didn't that soldier say that they had to destroy this bridge before the enemy came?_ "

Her question was answered when upon crossing over the bridge she founded the smoking ruins of the very tank she walked past two weeks prior, some stray birds perched atop it, watching her as she went by. By the time she reached a farmhouse she faintly remembered walking by, her legs had grown numb and her body was aching from walking, to the point she had to drop to her knees just to try and rest.

It was then she heard a vehicle drive up and brake just a few feet behind her, the horn honking twice. Melissa's eyes widened slightly and slowly sat up, before turning her head around to see the occupant of the vehicle.


	40. The Battle of Sipli Field

A/N Heyo everybody, it feels great to be back to writing. Had to take a lil brain break to recharge but it's all good now! Anyways, these past two chapters have been faaar more bulkier then their original versions, so that means im doing something right compared to earlier writer me! I hope all of you are liking it too. I've gotten a new view on AC6 here recently, which is why im finding it enjoyable to write about it again, especially since when I first wrote it, it was a bit of a struggle to get through because to me, back then, it wasn't as strong as a title to me when compared to AC4, AC5, or especially ACZ. No worries now though! :)  
Leave a fav and review please!

* * *

 **Chapter 38 - The Battle of Sipli Field**

 _Fortunes of War_

* * *

 **\- Campagna Airport, Vitoze, southwestern Khesed Island -**

 **\- November 27th, 2015 0500 hrs -**

Waking up early, despite being far away from home after being routed by an enemy nation's military across an entire continent, was still something that Talisman despised to do. He forced his body to climb up out of bed and walk to the bathroom so that he could brush his teeth and get ready.

Despite yesterday and the day before that being rife with celebration and a sense of accomplishment for the Emmerians and their successful defense, a briefing had been ordered for today because of something that apparently would make a lot of them very happy to hear. He hoped for the best, and as he spit out his mouthwash he fixed his gaze on himself in the mirror, a fire in his eyes.

"Just you wait, Estovakia, once we get reorganized, we're coming for you. We're gonna take back our whole damn continent!" Talisman said to himself confidently.

He made short work of readying himself and quickly made his way to the same make-shift briefing room they had used previously, finding Marcus and most of the other pilots waiting there already. After taking his seat, and the last few trickled their way in for the early morning briefing, it began with the dimming of the lights by Ghost Eye.

"The interception operation previously partaken by our forces was a success, and as a result, enemy air units around Khesed have been weakened. The Republic of Emmeria's military has taken full advantage of this prime opportunity to initiate a counterattack operation with all forces participating."

Talisman and several other pilots clapped their hands or fist pumped to show their eagerness to start the comeback trip, Marcus especially by shaking his hands together.

"Let's go!"

"Finally, we're gonna be the ones pushing them back this time!" jeered Lanner with a grin.

Ghost Eye had to quiet the pilots down so the briefing could continue, but while doing so he too had a grin on his face, pleased with everyone's willingness and excitement.

"Enemy forces have established a wide-scaled defensive line around Sipli Field, consisting largely of tank battalions." their Base Commander continued, pointing to the map brought up on the B.C.S. "Our ground forces are set up to cross the river and penetrate it, and eventually regain control of Khesed."

He put his hands behind his back as he looked over all of the pilots in the room, his eyes coming to rest eventually on Marcus and Talisman, the leaders of the pack.

"We need all of you to support our advancing ground units, and eliminate all enemy forces. Multiple units will be simultaneously carrying out various operations on the ground, so pay attention to the airspace above each operation area, and provide support as needed. This is but the first step of many that will bring us back to freeing our capital from Estovakian control. Godspeed."

 **\- Unknown Coordinates, Fuscum Sea -**

The mood aboard the Aigaion was somewhat tense, with the Strigon pilots feeling a little uneasy since they had lost their flight lead in Voychek during the attack on Gracemeria, and were waiting for a suitable replacement from Estovakia for their current interim flight lead. The former Strigon 2, Darigo Kovac, was good at holding the squadron together during this time, but he was far too stern when compared to Voychek.

They had also heard about the botched attempt at stamping out the Emmerians at Vitoze, causing the pilots to become aggravated. Why they weren't sent out to make sure the final nail in the coffin was hammered into place, none of them knew. Perhaps they didn't want to risk losing another one of their best aces like with Voychek.

The neglect made even some of them wish they were instead part of Estovakia's other ace squadron, led by a former Strigon member. They all knew that squadron was getting action on the mainland, while they were stuck aboard the Aigaion with nothing to do but routine patrols.

Some of the men on board weren't as angsty as the Strigon pilots, however. In his personal quarters aboard the giant airship, Cipher was sipping on some water as he clicked through a few images on his laptop.

They were taken by his aircraft's onboard camera from the fight against the Emmerian fighter pilot he called out as the hotshot.

"So he's the guy?" asked Nicolai, who was sitting behind him on his bed. "That's the guy we've been looking for?"

"From what I saw and went against during that dogfight, I could see it. He even had the potential to go even further beyond what he showcased."

Cipher closed his laptop and glanced back at Nicolai, leaning back in his chair and putting his arms behind his head and nodding his head, looking up to the ceiling. They had woken up early just like the rest of the crew aboard the giant vessel, since they had to be ready for anything, so they figured they could spend their early morning down time doing something productive.

"Lorenz was right. Our guy was here, after all this time, we found him. Albeit not in Estovakia, he was in Emmeria all along."

"If he had been in Estovakia, he would've certainly shown himself, that's for sure. Should we give him a call, tell him we found our man?"

"Not yet." said Cipher, raising a finger. "I want to be sure that this guy is the one. Let's keep watching for now, and perhaps get involved a couple more times...you know?"

Nicolai nodded his head with a smile before he stood up, putting a hand on Cipher's shoulder and patting it a few times. The two men nodded their heads and Nicolai left the room, leaving Cipher alone with himself and his thoughts. Once the door was closed, Cipher was able to close his eyes and let out a long sigh as he reconsidered his life choices up to this point.

Had he let his desire to rediscover the past after spending so much of his life running away from it, or hiding it, been a bad decision?

" _Even though she doesn't show it...Liz has got to be worried sick about me by now...especially considering this whole new war has started here…_ " he thought to himself, sighing again. " _And of course, Jasper...my own daughter…_ "

He leaned forward and cupped his mouth and nose with both hands, opening his eyes again to look at the small picture of Elizabeth taped to the wall right behind his laptop, a copy of the one he had in his jet. Seeing her smile, the one he had fallen so hard for, made him finally make a decision deep in the recesses of his heart.

Once he had confirmed the suspicions he had about the Emmerian pilot, and accomplished his goal, he was finally going to go back home. For good.

Suddenly the PA system of the giant aircraft crackled and the voice of the captain, someone Cipher had become acquainted with recently with his stationing aboard the Aigaion, came through from the bridge.

" _All pilots report to the hangar for briefing._ "

Cipher raised an eyebrow and stood up, glancing at the speaker in his room with an expression of intrigue.

" _A briefing, this early? There has to be something up._ "

He put on his flight suit as a precaution and left the room, meeting up with Nicolai on the way to the mouth of the giant craft that was its hangar. Once there, they were met with the cool early morning wind blowing through the opening from one end to the other, the speed of the Aigaion enough that it was bearable for the pilots to not have to hold onto something to avoid being carried out.

The rest of Strigon made their appearance as well, until everyone had assembled near the left wall of the mouth, the Aigaion captain arriving last with a folded piece of paper in his hand. The Strigon pilots awaited his word anxiously, practically bursting at the seams for what they hoped would be an actual operation they could be deployed on.

"We've gotten word from command. We have reason to believe that the Emmerian military will be attempting to push our forces further away from their position on Khesed Island, specifically at our recently built up defensive line located at Sipli. To ensure the Emmerians can't establish a better position, headquarters has called on you to reinforce our line at Sipli if the situation calls for you to push back the enemy."

Some of the Strigon pilots high-fived one another and celebrated at the opportunity to finally fight on the front lines again, Cipher crossing his arms and chuckling to himself at them. Their eagerness reminded him so much of the mercenaries and other personnel he used to fly with back during the Belkan War.

Once the captain finished the short briefing, he tucked the paper into his pants pocket and watched as the pilots dispersed from the group and returned to the bowels of the Aigaion. After they left, all of them giddy with the prospect of real action since the invasion of Gracemeria.

"They're like a bunch of children, aren't they?" asked the captain, glancing at Cipher, who hadn't moved an inch yet.

"Just a little." Cipher chuckled. "It reminds me of my youth."

"Some of those boys are just as old as you, you know."

"All of them haven't really been in the same situations that I've been in, have they?"

The captain chuckled at Cipher's rebuttal, Nicolai smirking slightly as he leaned against the wall. A discussion was started between the three of them about their history and past, sharing another few laughs here and there while waiting for the time to get ready for the operation.

 **\- Sipli Field, Central Khesed Island -**

 **\- 44°58'00"N, 32°01'36"E -**

 **\- November 27th, 2015 0600 hrs -**

Talisman and Marcus flew in at top speed with the central attack force of pilots, the left and right flank forces arriving in the airspace shortly after them. All three groups were in route to rendezvous with their respective Emmerian ground forces, where all three will launch a joint attack against the wide-spread Estovakian defensive perimeter stationed just past the small town of Misko.

"Attention all forces." announced Ghost Eye, being the battlefield commander. "We're about to engage enemy units on the other side of the river from multiple angles. Individual ground force leaders, sitrep."

A brief pause of radio silence was heard before a new voice the pilots hadn't heard before spoke up.

"This is Warlock Battalion of the central attack group. Our goal is to pierce the enemy's center. We're moving along smoothly through the snow, make sure you boys don't hit us!"

"Quox Battalion here. We're set up to hit the enemy from the east flank. Give us cover and we'll make sure our end of the deal is accomplished."

"Steel Gunners here. We've got the west side covered. Glad to be working with you fly boys up there!"

The pilots arrived over their marked ground forces, Talisman taking a glance below to see their tanks rolling fast across the snow towards the enemy lines, the left group having to advance through Misko in order to reach the river beyond it. He hoped the people in the small town were taking shelter, and he was sure Marcus was thinking the same.

Talisman looked ahead past the river at the identified Estovakian forces waiting for them, their HUD signatures filling up practically the whole screen and the immediate radar zone around them.

" _They're not holding back here, that want to make sure we're contained at Vitoze…_ " he thought to himself. " _They outnumber all of our forces at least three to one...this'll be interesting!_ "

"They've got way more guys than us. great confidence booster, huh?"

"You're telling me Marcus. No problems here though, right guys?"

Avalanche, Windhover, and their squad mates both let out a cheer of agreement, as did the other Emmerian pilots flying with them on the combined radio channel, their confidence bringing smiles to the faces of the tankers on the ground.

"Let's see if you can wow us again like last time, Talisman." added Lanner with a giggle. "Would be nice to see that."

"I'll try my best Lanner." Talisman replied with a laugh. "Let's focus up though. Here's the enemy!"

The Emmerians met the Estovakian ground forces head on, providing the initial strike against their dug in troops and armored vehicles while their tanks and forces cross the river over to the other side.

Talisman got right down to business, being the leader of the pack in the center group as he targeted several Estovakian tanks with his jet's XAGMs and wiped them out instantly. AA gunfire and SAM missiles were the response from the Estovakians, truly signaling the battle's start.

"Marcus, stay on my wing. Anything I don't hit, you follow up behind me and knock them out!"

"Roger that Talisman!" Marcus replied. "Let's make this easy!"

At the same time, the rest of the Emmerian pilots had begun their attacks on the different sectors of the Estovakian defensive line, scoring quick and easy kills against their entrenched tanks and other vehicles. If they were to have any chance of surviving, they had to get their vehicles moving, or risk getting destroyed from above.

"Did you know that 90% of our operational forces are out on the battlefield?" said Avalanche out of the blue. "Everybody's out here, believe it or not."

"Really?" Talisman asked. "Now that's what I call raising the stakes."

"I love it. It's the bet of a lifetime." added on Windhover. "It means we can go all out!"

The Estovakians started to feel the heat from the Emmerians as their ground forces finished crossing the river and began to engage them on a more direct front, their Main Battle Tanks providing covering fire as the infantry advanced through the brush and snow to seize their objectives.

Talisman destroyed a pair of tanks before he glanced at his radar and noticed another allied group appear on radar, coming in from their rear.

"This is Yellow Jacket, the supporting chopper unit. We've confirmed self-propelled artillery across the river, behind the front lines."

"Can you mark them, Yellow Jacket?" asked Ghost Eye while looking at the screens in his 767.

"Negative, this is Bird Eater of Yellow Jacket. They've got too many AA guns, we can't get in close enough."

"Roger, Bird Eater. Garuda Team, you heard him. Knock out those enemy AA guns!"

"Roger that!"

Talisman and Marcus broke off from the main group for a moment to locate the AA guns their choppers pointed out and attack them. Their rounds flew usually past the pilots as they ducked and weaved through them, destroying each emplacement one by one with their missiles. Marcus took a few glancing blows from one of the guns before they were temporarily warded off by nearby SAMs, but Talisman returned with a vengeance and shut those down quickly before they could fire any more.

"Alright, the AA guns are destroyed!"

"Local SAM sites around the area are also out of commission!"

"This is Yellow Jacket, roger Garuda Team. Moving in now to take out enemy artillery."

With the threat taken care of, their attack helicopters were able to move in and begin their attack on Estovakian forces, using their weapons to lay waste to the front lines before locating and targeting the artillery attacking their troops with their air-to-ground missiles. Fireballs soon dotted the landscape within the coverage of a snowy forest when the helicopters laid down the pain on the hidden artillery positions.

With their destruction, the ground forces started pushing harder against the entrenched Estovakians, causing their forces to lose more and more men and equipment until it proved too much for them to handle.

"Enemy forces are down to 50%, keep it up!"

Ghost Eye kept a keen eye on all the monitors and equipment aboard his 767, making sure that all phases of the operation were going as planned. He nod his head when the Steel Gunners were able to take full control of their operational target, enabling them to divert their efforts to assisting the rest of their forces still grappling with the Estovakians for their targets.

"This is Warlock, we're about to contain the enemy forces in the central combat area. Blast the hell out of anything that moves."

"Coming to do just that, Warlock! Just sit tight and let us soften them up for you!"

Talisman laughed as he soared over the battlefield, utilizing his air-to-ground missiles to their fullest extent and wiping the floor with the helpless Estovakians.

"We can't withstand their airpower, not even with the weapons we had with us!"

"Our firepower is superior to their ground forces, yet we can't even hold them back?! This is a disgrace to our country!"

Talisman scored another few kills against the Estovakians, the other Emmerian pilots starting to take notice of his domination over the battle and joke about it.

"Talisman's hogging the spotlight again!" laughed Windhover. "Can somebody end this man's killstreak?"

"Hey, this is first come first serve! You gotta beat me to the targets first!" replied Talisman, grinning. "SAM to your right Lanner, watch out!"

"Ah, thanks!"

Lanner banked right sharply to avoid a ground-fired SAM missile and quickly traced the smoke trail back to its source, knocking out the SAM with a missile that removed it as a threat.

"Enemy forces have been dealt a heavy blow. All planes, move into action against any forces still remaining."

With that announcement to the forces under his command, and the operation going smoothly, Ghost Eye decided it was acceptable for him to take a short break and take a seat nearby with a coffee cup in hand. He took a sip while keeping his gaze somewhat focused on the observation monitors inside, confident he wouldn't have to say anything until the mission had been accomplished.

Those hopes were dashed when a little alert popped up as unidentified enemy forces appeared on long range radar.

They were quick to identify them as enemy air reinforcements, and they were quick to relay the information to their pilots on the field so they would expect their arrival.

"Looks like the Stovies have some back up coming in everyone. Get ready!" announced Talisman as he and Marcus pulled up from the ground, raising their altitude somewhat.

Avalanche, Windhover, and the rest of the Emmerian pilots joined their two leaders to intercept the incoming threat, revealed to be a flight of five individual jets.

"Wait a minute...more radar signatures detected...they're the same as the ones from Gracemeria! All planes, long range cruise missiles are on approach!"

"Those again?! Shit!" cursed Windhover. "What do we do?!"

"Just gotta adapt, boys!" said Talisman as he and Marcus sped out ahead of the pack. "Don't stay too close to one another and stay moving, don't sit still and make yourself an easy target!"

Talisman looked ahead to the arrival vector of the enemy reinforcements and swore under his breath as the cruise missiles appeared first. He could see them coming in at top speed, and within a matter of moments after a countdown by Ghost Eye, the same devastating explosions lit up the sky above Sipli Field,

"God! I forgot how heavy those shockwaves were!" grunted Avalanche after the detonations occurred.

"This is Strigon 2. Push back the Emmerians."

"Roger, Strigon 2."

The five black and red jets entered the airspace after the cruise missile explosions had faded, quickly engaging the Emmerian fighters and showcasing their elite skills just like before over Gracemeria.

"These are the same pilots from Gracemeria! Don't toy with them, these guys are the real deal!"

"Roger! Don't let 'em gang up on you!"

Talisman grunted as he avoided a missile from one of the Estovakian pilots, Marcus having to deal with one of his own while Avalanche and Windhover's squadrons were split with helping them with the fighters and wiping out the rest of the Estovakian ground forces hampering their boys on the ground.

After soaring by one of the pilots during a maneuver, Talisman caught a glimpse of the grim reaper emblem on their jet and got a slight shiver from it, but rather then shrink away he actually grinned instead.

"These guys aren't anything compared to the Demon Lord! Watch and learn!"

As if he was uncorking a bottle, Talisman started to push his craft beyond the limits it was supposed to have, outmaneuvering and outflying the Estovakians far outside their expectations.

"Strigon Flight, another wave of Nimbus Missiles inbound. Brace for impact."

"Roger. The marked pilot is proving to be difficult. Target his craft with the marker drones and destroy him."

The five elite pilots started to specifically target Talisman, isolating him more and more from Marcus and the other Emmerian pilots, a plan which he could start to see was happening before anybody else could.

"Guys, they're trying to get me away from you!"

"We see you Talisman! We're coming, hold on!"

"Attention, all planes! Second wave of long-range cruise missiles inbound!" announced Ghost Eye, before their trajectories were further analyzed. "Garuda 1, they're locked onto your location!"

"What? Heh, they're not making it easy for me!"

Talisman laughed as he rolled to the right to avoid a missile and some gunfire from the relentless Strigon pilots, his head whipping around to gather their positions relative to him before he started to maneuver. He banked right, then left, the Strigons following him move for move, before he pulled a sharp turn back to the right and cut the throttle, managing to turn his jet around on a dime.

"Didn't your mothers teach you that ganging up on someone wasn't very nice!" exclaimed Talisman before he fired a missile right into the wing of one of the enemy jets.

"Gah! My wing!"

The pilot was jostled around from the impact, and to Talisman's surprise the jet wasn't destroyed or damaged as badly as he would have thought.

" _Damn, those Stovies must've made their jets tougher or something._ "

"I can't continue the fight, I'm pulling out Strigon 2."

The fighter Talisman had struck quickly made their way out of the battle, just in time for the other Strigons to duck away from Talisman, which told him what was about to happen before Ghost Eye even began the countdown.

Explosions dotted the skies around him and Talisman's entire body was rattled to the core by the shockwaves, but thanks to last minute maneuvering, he was able to avoid being caught directly in the attack and made it out relatively unscathed.

"Wow that was a rush!" he exclaimed. "Everything's fine...my jet is good!"

No sooner did he say that the Strigon pilots were hounding him yet again, Talisman grinning slightly as he took them on once again in a staggering dance in the sky. And once again, Talisman showcased a budding superiority over the Estovakian fighters that led to another Strigon fighter getting damaged and forced to retreat.

"Look at Talisman go! Taking five on one!"

"What a legend…" remarked Lanner. "Or a growing one at least."

Marcus laughed with a couple of the other pilots, while Avalanche and Windhover jumped the gun in a completely different direction in a teasing manner.

"What's that you got there, Lanner?"

"Is that a crush on Talisman?"

"What? No!" said Lanner. "That would be unprofessional!"

"Unprofessional she says...pff."

The two pilots snickered between one another before Talisman damaged a third Strigon fighter, enough to make the Estovakians reconsider their options and radio in a retreat order to their superiors. Within a matter of seconds, the surviving fighters quickly fled the scene when their plan failed, and a third wave of cruise missiles never arrived.

"Enemy fighters are retreating. Ground forces, give us a sitrep." asked Ghost Eye, relaxing again.

"This is Warlock Battalion. All objectives have been seized, and Estovakian forces have been defeated. Sipli Field is ours."

Ghost Eye smiled, toasting his cup of coffee to the monitors while his crew cheered behind him. "Mission complete then. Pilots, get back to base. You've earned it."

"Wew! That was a bit sporty." remarked Talisman.

He joined up with the rest of the Emmerians, Marcus, Avalanche, Windhover and company all welcoming him back before they retreated from Sipli Field, entrusting it with their ground forces.

 **^^^^Debriefing Message^^^^**

Thanks to your efforts we have completed this mission successfully, despite unforeseen circumstances. Emmerian forces were able to extend to the center of Khesed, expanding their power in the region. Estovakian forces were driven off the front line, and have retreated to Bartolomeo Fortress, which is located in the center of the island. Even with their cruise missiles on their side, this mission should have given them a good taste of what our forces are capable of. Soon we'll be able to drive all Estovakian forces out of Khesed.

 **\- Oslo, Capital of the Kingdom of Nordennavic, Central Nordennavic -**

 **\- Same Time -**

A man with somewhat graying brown hair cut short hoisted his luggage over his shoulder and looked around the flight terminal of Nordennavic Central Airport, grinning at all of the Nordec design elements put into the architecture.

" _So this is what Nordennavic is like...everyone here seems pretty nice. Plus, pretty advanced stuff here too._ " he thought as he walked towards the exit. " _Must be nice to be a neutral country. Good thing I thought of this last minute instead of trying to fly all the way here by myself..._ "

Once he was able to leave the airport terminal and make his way outside, he had to pull up the hood of his winter jacket because of the cold weather of the northern nation. This was the first time he had ever come to Nordennavic, and needless to say, from the landscapes he saw as they were on approach, and the general personality of the people, he was significantly impressed.

He didn't have time to admire everything though, he had a job to do. He was meeting up with his contact in thirty minutes and he didn't want to be late, especially since this would lead to his entrance into Estovakia-occuped Emmeria.

The thought of flying into enemy territory again, with nothing but the wind behind you, it actually got him pretty excited. It was an excitement he hadn't felt since 1995.

" _This is gonna be a blast…!_ "

 **\- Gracemeria Police Station, Gracemeria -**

 **\- November 27th, 100 hrs -**

The police station of Gracemeria, once home to the smiling public protectors of the capital city, had been transformed into an Estovakian internment camp for prisoners of war and any other dissenters the occupation force deemed threatening to their control. Inside the station there were actual Emmerian police officers themselves, the ones who disobeyed the order to stand down, soldiers, and pilots who had survived being shot down in the battles that had waged across the continent in Emmeria's retreat.

One such pilot was sitting inside one of the interrogation rooms, still dressed in his flight suit, his wrists bound in handcuffs. He was looking at his hands resting on the table, the chair he was sitting in a metal fold-up chair whose only purpose was to make those who sat in it dreadfully aware of how uncomfortable it was.

There was a single Estovakian soldier inside standing guard by the door, merely a precaution in case the pilot, or whomever was sitting inside the room, decided to become too unruly.

When the door opened the pilot lifted his head and stared blankly at Voychek, the one who had entered the room, with cane in one hand and clipboard in the other. They shared a silent, minute long stare with one another before Voychek walked slowly to the other side of the table and stopped, looking down upon the pilot with.

" _So...this is the next guy…?_ " the pilot thought to himself while examining Voychek. " _Hope he's happy with my name, rank, number, and birthday._ "

Voychek started to speak, the pilot had learned to tune out whatever the Estovakians said to him, instead hearing nothing from the elder officer, seeing only his mouth move.

" _He's skin and bones...with eyes like a hawk. But that badge, and cane...old hawk-eyes here must've broken his wings in combat._ "

The interrogation when the same as the previous ones, the pilot ending it with the same statements he'd tell the men before him, until Voychek was through and had him taken away to the cell he had been retrieved from. He watched the pilot go through the door, maintaining his blank expression, until the door closed shut and he was left alone in the interrogation room.

Voychek then sighed and walked around the table, before taking a seat himself in the metal chair and grunting slightly, the creak of the metal echoing off the stone walls. It really was as uncomfortable as it looked.

" _Even when they're trapped within their own capital city...their forces chased to the outer fringes of Emmeria...they still continue to fight here. I can see it though...they are losing hope...it's only a matter of time now._ "


End file.
